Lord Mayor’s Show 2026: Route map, road closures and rich 800-year history of spectacle

The Lord Mayor’s Show is bringing most of the City of London to a standstill on Saturday, as a procession of brightly-coloured floats and performers light up the Square Mile.The 800-year tradition is being revived today (Saturday, November 14), with the 698th Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Bronek Masojada, set to climb into a golden coach and make his way through the City to Westminster to pledge his loyalty to the crown.The new Lord Mayor represents the Billingsgate ward, and took office this week in the Silent Ceremony.Here is everything you need to know about Saturday’s spectacle.Lord Mayor’s Show - where and when is it?Pearly Kings and Queens parade at the Lady Mayor's Show in 2025GettyThe show takes place inside the City of London, the most historic part of the capital also known as the Square Mile.It has its own Lord Mayor, who is separate from the Mayor of London, and who holds a ceremonial and ambassadorial role to promote the UK’s financial and professional services to the world.On Saturday, the show was due to get started at 11am from Mansion House and proceed through a set route around the Square Mile.It is free to spectate and you don’t need a ticket to get into the City.Lord Mayor’s Show route map - and how to get thereThe Lord Mayor's Show route map shows where the 2.8-mile procession will goLord Mayor's ShowMost visitors were expected to use public transport to get as close to the City as possible, before making the rest of the journey on foot.There are a small number of parking spaces for blue badge holders, but you’ll need to get there early to secure a spot.Cars, vans, lorries, e-bikes, pedal bicycles and scooters are banned from the processional route and may be towed away if parked there.Buses will be put on diversion too, so if you’re travelling in, you can take the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon and leave through the Moorgate exit to bring you as close as possible to the City boundaries.History of the Lord Mayor’s ShowThe Lord Mayor’s Show has been going for more than 800 years, tracing its origins back to the early 13th century. Read MoreIt was then that King John allowed the City of London to elect its own mayor - with the proviso that each new appointee would have to travel upriver to Westminster to pledge their loyalty.Since then, a new Lord Mayor has been elected every autumn by the City's livery companies and aldermen for a year’s term.Female mayors are styled ‘Lady Mayor’ and carry out the same duties.Lord Mayor’s Show road closuresThe area in yellow will be off-limit to vehicles for most of the dayLord Mayor's ShowA number of routes into and around the Square Mile are closed on Saturday.Princes Street closed at midnight, with Bank junction shut from 5am.All other key roads used in the processional route shut down at 7am with no access to bikes and vehicles, with the exception of emergency services.Most will reopen between 4-5pm, with Princes Road and Bank Junction the last to reopen between 5pm and 6.30pm.