The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – plan ahead for a fantastic weekend
People all over the United Kingdom will be celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the extended bank holiday weekend.
There will be a large number of events taking place across the UK from Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 5th June, including thousands of Big Jubilee Lunches and street parties, beacon lighting ceremonies and countless other celebrations large and small. London will play host to a series of high-profile national events as part of the Jubilee celebrations and so will be particularly busy across the whole of the weekend. It is important, therefore, that anyone intending to travel to London over the weekend plans accordingly. Transport for London advises using public transport, so people should ensure they check the TfL website or media travel bulletins before they travel.
If you are planning to come to London to watch or participate in any of the events over the Jubilee weekend, please visit the Directgov website for further information on the events and their timetables, transport and road closures to ensure that you get the most from your weekend.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has responsibility in Government for the Diamond Jubilee said:
“The Jubilee weekend promises to be a wonderful celebration of what makes the UK great, and a chance for us all to mark a magnificent milestone in The Queen’s reign. Billions will enjoy it on TV but massive numbers will also be coming to London to enjoy it in person. If you’re one of those, please take extra care to make sure you get home safely. Public transport will be very busy and there will be some road closures so please plan ahead to get the most from your weekend.”
If you are planning to attend a central London event, don’t forget to plan for the journey home. The main events in London are:
3rd June - The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
- Check the details of the route at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant website.
- The Thames Pageant will be making an announcement next week, on 17 May, of where, when and how the public should enjoy the event, including the locations of big screens to view the Pageant.
- There are still tickets available to attend the Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.
- Due to a number of road and bridge closure, motorists are advised to avoid central London for all but essential journeys, and a number of bus diversions will be in place, with no buses crossing the river for a large part of the day.
3rd June - Big Jubilee Lunch / Street Parties
- Piccadilly will be pedestrianized from 11.30 am to 6.00 pm on Sunday 3rd June for the Piccadilly Big Jubilee Lunch street party.
- To reserve a space on the street party table, bring your own picnic as part of the Big Jubilee Lunch, visit the Big Jubilee Lunch website to register your interest.
- Other Big Jubilee Lunches will take place throughout the capital and the UK. More details can be found at the Big Lunch website.
4th June - The Diamond Jubilee Concert and National Beacon Lighting, Buckingham Palace/The Mall
- Check the time of your last train and allow plenty of time to get to the station. There will be no additional late night trains so it is important to plan ahead for your return journey.
- Due to the large crowds expected, it will take longer to get on to a tube/bus so please be patient.
- Big screens showing the concert live will be located in Hyde Park, St James’s Park and the Mall.
5th June - Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Ceremonial Procession
- The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel by car to St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Service of Thanksgiving, after which they will attend a reception at Mansion House, and then travel on by car to the Palace of Westminster for a lunch at Westminster Hall.
- There will be a carriage procession from the Palace of Westminster to Buckingham Palace, the route of which is on the Directgov website and the Diamond Jubilee website.
- The public will be able to view all of the ceremonial events on large screens in Hyde Park, St James’s Park and Trafalgar Square.
Hyde Park will also host the Jubilee Family Festival on 2nd and 3rd June. This is a ticketed event, more details of which can be found at the Sainsbury’s Jubilee Family Festival website.
It is important for individuals and families travelling into and around London at any point over the Jubilee weekend to use the Transport for London website, and journey planner, and the National Rail website to check the times of trains and connecting services.
Particular care should be taken in ensuring that people plan their return journeys in advance, especially on Monday 4th June. If you are concerned about getting home, leave London early.
People coming to the celebrations can also help themselves by thinking ahead, not only about how they will get to and from their destination, but what they will need during the day. For example, they should make sure they bring with them any regular medication, that they carry some sun cream or waterproof clothing depending on the weather, and that they drink plenty of water (if it is a hot day).
At all of the key locations there will be toilets, food concessions and the St John Ambulance will be providing a number of first aid points.
Please plan for your visit to London and enjoy The Queens Diamond Jubilee Weekend.