London and its visitors are gearing up for an annual event described by organisers as “the oldest, longest, best loved and least-rehearsed civic procession in the world.” And despite the long history, this year the occasion will be a first-of-its-kind, as the Lord Mayor’s Show becomes the Lady Mayor’s Show for the first time ever.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, when in 1215 England’s King John granted a royal charter to permit London to elect its own mayor, the show started because the monarch specified that the chosen mayor should travel to Westminster and swear allegiance to the Crown.
This year, the Lord Mayor will, in fact, be the Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley DBE. She is the third woman in the job’s 800-year history to hold the title, but is the first to style herself as Lady Mayor.
On 8 November 2025, she will take a 250-year-old state coach accompanied by pikemen and military bands through the streets of the British capital. Starting at 11:00 am, she will set out from Mansion House to the Royal Courts, via St Paul’s Cathedral, taking exactly 26 minutes and 51 seconds, as they move at 120 paces per minute. They return early in the afternoon, passing Embankment and Victoria Street.
Onlookers will be able to enjoy the atmosphere for free and may catch sight of Gog and Magog, two giants made of wicker that are the traditional guardians of the City of London, and have been carried in the Lord Mayor’s Show since the reign of Henry V.
Prime spots recommended by the organisers for watching the procession are between Temple and Blackfriars for those who prefer a quieter time with wider pavements allowing room for wheelchairs, luggage, folding chairs, and families. Alternatively, for the “full-strength show,” visitors should head to the Bank / Mansion House area and along Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street.
And for getting there, it’s good to be aware that most roads in the City area are closed for most of the day of the show, with no traffic at all permitted. Bus routes too will be diverted while the show is on, and parking spaces will be suspended from Friday afternoon. Roads will reopen as early as possible, usually before 4 pm.
As cars and buses are not allowed into the city on show day, other forms of public transit will be useful. Tubes, boats, and bicycles are all great options, and the Elizabeth Line station at Farringdon is a well-placed entry and exit point. The organisers also point out how pleasant it is to walk the city when the roads are free of traffic, as they will be for the show.
