The Event - FAQ's

What is the event?

On Sunday 3 June, as part of the central weekend of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen, Piccadilly will be closed for the first time in its history to host the Piccadilly Big Jubilee Lunch Street Party.

Organised by the Heart of London Business Alliance (www.heartoflondonbid.co.uk), this will see the shops, hotels, cultural organisations and other businesses along Piccadilly come together to bring all the trappings of a traditional English summer fete to central London.

At its centre will be a 500-seat street party table, watched over by The Queen’s Beast, a specially-commissioned, three-metre-tall heraldic lion. Members of the public can reserve a space at one of the table’s sittings to eat their packed lunches and join up with the other Big Jubilee Lunches taking place across the UK that day.

When is the event open?

The event starts at 11.30am and ends at 6.00pm.

Where will the event be exactly?

The street party will run from where Piccadilly meets Piccadilly Circus in the north east to Abermarle St and St James’s St in the south west. The street party table will span St James’s Church and Duke St, St James’s at the corner of Fortnum & Mason.

Beast

What stalls / attractions will there be on the day?

Further details are being confirmed. Currently, the key elements include:

  • A showreel of British cinema and a chance to walk the red carpet from BAFTA
  • A craft stall and chance to meet a Battersea Dog from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
  • Vintage cars from the last 60 years from Brookland Museum
  • A Best of British tent hosted by Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel, with traditional British games from hoopla to coconut shies, as well as food offerings including scotch quails eggs, British asparagus with herb mayonnaise, jubilee chicken, Eccles cakes and strawberries & cream
  • A hog roast from The Cavendish London
  • Picnics, a champagne and tea bar and Highgrove beef burgers from Fortnum & Mason
  • Luxury Illy coffee ice creams and a British hog roast from Le Méridien Piccadilly
  • “Live at The Ritz” – an opportunity to enjoy the music and dance to The Ritz Restaurant’s resident band
  • Themed events in the Royal Academy of Arts courtyard
  • A community market from the artisans of St James’s Area and Jermyn St
  • Traditional Ice-cream Coupes from The Wolseley
  • Children’s games and face painting at St James’s Church

In addition, there will be musical performances and brass bands, traditional fairground rides and a big screen will show live footage from other events across the capital.

How can members of the public book a place at the table?

Guests must book a seat in advance for one of five, hour-long time slots allocated for the day at www.piccadillybigjubileelunch.org. To reserve up to 10 places, guests must donate £1 per seat to The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. There is no additional booking fee. Visitors will be given colour coded wristbands on the day to distinguish seat allocation and time slots.

Guests will need to bring their own packed lunched or picnic hampers, or can purchase food from the stalls and shops along Piccadilly.

What is the Heart of London Business Alliance?

The Heart of London Business Alliance Operates as a Business Improvement District representing 500 businesses in the Piccadilly & St James’s area and Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus area.

It has been providing leadership and direction for businesses and property owners for over 10 years. Heart of London promotes the district to a global audience, ensuring that the area remains an integral part of London’s West End for people to visit, trade and work in.