Comments on: Best Places To Watch The Thames Jubilee Pageant

By: liza

liza — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:23:41 +0000

Hi, thanks for your helpful info – someone told me that the areas around More London and the City Hall are tickets only – is this true?

By: Caroline Roddis

Caroline Roddis — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:03:25 +0000

It’s tricky to comment on specific spots – try looking on Google street view (http://bit.ly/KxkXLL) to get an idea in advance and make sure you arrive early to have a good chance of securing a spot. The official pageant site also has social media pages and it’s worth keeping an eye on those: http://www2.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org. Hope you enjoy the pageant!

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:48:29 +0000

Hi, great post. What do you think of the area around Millbank and Millbank Tower for viewing?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:19:55 +0000

Hi Edwina

You can also read more about the viewing areas on the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant website http://www2.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/KeyFactsFaq.aspx

By: Caroline Roddis

Caroline Roddis — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:48:39 +0000

It will – the pageant will be comprised of 1,000 boats sailing fairly close together, so you probably won’t be able to see them all from any one vantage point, but from the edges of the bridge you should get a fairly good overview.

By: Edwina Townsend

Edwina Townsend — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:19:31 +0000

Thanks for the info but am confused about the 3 bridges that are open north and sound ends. Will it be possible to see the pageant from both the south and north ends?

By: Caroline Roddis

Caroline Roddis — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:37:13 +0000

The latest information we have indicates yes, but we’ll let you know if we hear anything to the contrary!

By: Rob Peters

Rob Peters — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:43:00 +0000

Thanks for bridge update, very helpful . Will the Queen continue on to Tower Bridge after stopping at HMS President? Thanks.

By: Caroline Roddis

Caroline Roddis — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:12:30 +0000

Thanks for the update! I’ve updated our post to reflect your comment. Hope you enjoy the pageant!

By: s carpenter

s carpenter — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:56:59 +0000

NB – trouble is, the bridges are closed for viewers.

Different bridges are subject to different arrangements:
There are only three bridges (Lambeth, Westminster and Blackfriars) where members of the public will be able to stop and watch the flotilla. It is only at the extreme ends of these three bridges that congregation is possible. These will be extremely crowded, and members of the public will be subject to bag searches.

Organisers have made the central areas of bridges available to the riparian London Boroughs for allocation to local residents and also to a number of charities who are or part of every bridge as The Queen and the Royal Squadron passes underneath. The precise bridge arrangements are:

Battersea and Chelsea bridges will be open for pedestrians from 0700hrs until early evening. Both bridges will be closed to traffic and are expected to be very crowded. These are for pedestrian traffic only, and not for viewing.
Albert Bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians starting from 0700hrs until early evening and is designated for invited guests from charities and the riparian boroughs.
Tower Bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians from 0700hrs until early evening and will host guests from charities and the riparian boroughs as well as private events hosted by the City of London.
Millennium Bridge and the Jubilee footbridges will be closed and will host guests from the charities and riparian boroughs as well as members of the media.
Vauxhall, Waterloo and London bridges will be open to traffic and pedestrians, apart from central section bridge closures as the flotilla passes underneath them at points between 1500 and 1730. They are all expected to be very crowded and the public sections are only open for the purpose of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, not for viewing.
Southwark Bridge will be closed to pedestrians, but not to traffic.
Lambeth, Westminster and Blackfriars bridges will be closed to traffic and pedestrians, but each will have north and south facing viewing screens, with both ends of both bridges open to the public. However, members of the public will need to be counted on to the bridge to comply with capacity and subject to bag searches to maintain security.
Why will bridges be closed?
Bridge closures will be in place to protect the safety of the viewing public and the flotilla participants. Bridges which are open to vehicular and pedestrian access will be closed for a period of time while the royal section passes beneath, on the directions of the police.