London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Big screen thrills for coronation partygoers celebrating in the park

Big screen thrills for coronation partygoers celebrating in the park

Details of plans to mark the Coronation in London have been revealed
Up to 100,000 are expected to head to Hyde Park to mark the King’s coronation, event organisers have revealed.

Preparations are also being made for thousands of people to line the procession route along The Mall to watch Charles and Camilla travel between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

The numbers drawn to central London are expected to exceed the thousands who attended the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations last June.

Organisers are planning for 50,000 people to watch the coronation on Saturday May 6 on giant screens erected on either side of the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park.

A similar number is expected to party in the park the following evening when the Coronation Concert — rumoured to feature Sir Paul McCartney, Take That and Lionel Richie — will be beamed live from Windsor Castle.

Green Park and St James’s Park are expected to be extremely crowded on coronation day. Screens will be erected in both royal parks and on Horse Guards Parade for those unable to catch a glimpse of the military procession.

Westminster council’s licensing committee approved the plans yesterday after the Government’s chief organiser Jon Martin, from the Department of Culture, told councillors: “This is truly an exceptional application and, for once, that is no exaggeration.”

Latest details to emerge include an RAF flypast — for the newly-crowned King’s appearance on the palace balcony with the royal family — and widespread road closures in central London during the bank holiday weekend, making it “challenging” for residents to get around. Transport for London is due to publish travel advice next week.

The plans include late-night food and drink stalls in Green Park and St James’s Park, offering tea, coffee and bacon sandwiches, to cater for those who arrive on Friday night and camp out to secure a prime position.

No alcohol will be on sale at this point. “It’s quite literally a welfare provision,” Mr Martin told the committee. “I cannot say how many people will come in the late hours. I suspect in the early morning there will be quite some numbers.”

However there will be stalls selling Pimm’s and gin from 10am until 10pm on Saturday and from 4pm to 10pm on Sunday, including in Hyde Park. Ice cream and churros will also be available.

A “very significant police presence”, to ensure security along the route, would be on hand in the event of any drunkenness, Mr Martin said.

The BBC will start its live coverage at 7.30am on Saturday. The RAF flypast is expected at around 2.45pm.

Hyde Park will not be ticketed. Grandstands near Buckingham Palace and Admiralty Arch will be reserved for military veterans, cadets and key workers.

The Coronation Concert will feature “music icons and contemporary stars”, starting at 8.30pm and running for 90 minutes. It will have a live audience of 20,000 — half of which are Britons who won free tickets in a ballot.

The other tickets have been given to charities supported by Charles and Camilla. The concert will feature the Countess of Wessex String Orchestra and the Bands of the Household Division.

According to the BBC, they will play interpretations of “musical favourites… fronted by some of the biggest entertainers from the worlds of pop, opera, and soul music”.

The concert will also feature the Coronation Choir, created from community choirs and amateur singers.

The centrepiece will be a section called Lighting up the Nation, when landmark locations are lit using projections, lasers and drone displays. Identity, the firm that organised London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and the Pride parade, will manage the event.

Westminster’s licensing committee chairwoman Iman Less said: “These are not only extraordinary events but an important moment in history.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×