EVERY year an enormous – and free – parade takes place in London with floats and live bands – and something new is launching this year.
The Lord or Lady Mayor’s Show dates back to the 13th century and is full of of celebratory entertainment, and this year is a very special one.
Dame Susan Langley DBE will be appointed as the Lady Mayor, which makes her only the third woman to hold the post in over 800 years, and the 697th Mayor of the City of London.
She will also be the first ever to be titled the ‘Lady Mayor of London‘.
To celebrate her inauguration, there will be a traditional parade of bands and 50 floats throughout the city.
Over 7,000 people take part in the event from all over the world – and the procession is over three miles long, which is longer than the actual route.
The event is completely free and you’ll get to see marching bands, a huge Cinderella carriage, dancers, even a resorted Bluebird K7 (a hydroplane) will make an appearance.
There are representatives of all three armed forces there too, Taiko drummers and mounted knights.
This year, the Lady Mayor’s Show will be held on November Saturday 8, 2025 between 11AM and 2.30PM.
Roads will be closed as people line up in the streets to see the event underway – so don’t travel by car as you’ll meet lots of no entry signs.
In the morning, the Lady Mayor’s Show will begin at Mansion House and go towards the Royal Courts through St Paul’s.
In the afternoon, the parade will come back through Embankment and Victoria Street.
The official website suggests for a ‘full experience’, to watch the outward procession between 11AM and 12PM between Bank and St Paul’s.
For a quieter experience with fewer crowds, watch the parade on its return to Mansion House between 1.15PM and 2.30PM around Embankment.
Historically, the Lord Mayor’s Show is the oldest and longest civic procession in the world.
It started as early as the 13th century when King John granted that the City of London could appoint its own Mayor.
The condition being that each new Mayor would have to pledge loyalty to the Crown.
The journey then became a huge event that has been held for around 800 years and was eventually named the Lord Mayor’s Show.
For more free events in London, check out the full list of London’s best Christmas lights and when they will be switched on this year.
Plus, is this England’s most beautiful Christmas market? The 100-stall festive event in the middle of a palace courtyard.