London New Year Parade 2013

Live Stream, Route, Start Time, Schedule

London, UK, 1 January, 11.45am-3.15pm

There are a number of celebrations around the world on New Year's Day for those that manage to make it out of bed in time, and aren't nursing too much of a hangover! Or possibly the exceptionally brave who haven't actually made it to bed yet and are just planning on fighting through it instead....

Of all the New Year parades, the annual event in London is possibly the best known. First held in 1987, the parade enters it's 26th year on 1 January 2013, and has so far raised in excess of 1 million pounds for good causes. It has the benefit of passing some of the most famous and instantly recognisable monuments and tourist attractions in the world - sights such as Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Piccadilly circus provide a truly memorable backdrop.

The 2013 parade should be a particularly momentous occasion, marking the end of a year that saw the UK hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, as well of course as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The chosen theme this year is "Hats Off To London – Celebration Capital of the World"

There are a total of over 10,000 performers taking part in the parade this year, and over 20 different countries are represented. Participants include Valley Forge Military Academy & College, The Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster, Councillor Angela Harvey, The Ambassadors of China, Italy, Brazil and Indonesia, Walker Valley High School Mustang Band, Gadsden School District Marching Band, The American Chinese Art Society Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe, The London Pearly Kings & Queens Society and the Beverly Hills High School Marching Band.

Some of the performers from the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies will also be returning as special guests, as well as some of the games makers, the volunteers who helped throughout the summer.

The parade route is 2 miles long, and proceeds as follows:

Piccadilly
Piccadilly Circus
Lower Regent Street
Waterloo Place
Pall Mall
Cockspur Street
Trafalgar Square
Whitehall
Parliament Street

The nearest tube stations to use for attending the parade are at Westminster, Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Embankment and St James' Park.

There are a couple of ways to view the London New Year's Day parade online (it was originally also advertised as being shown on BBC1 London, but as of this morning this seems to have changed).

The official site seems to be struggling with visitor numbers too, so the Information TV link may be the best bet:

The Official Site

Information TV

If you're in London for New Year then you probably already have your hotel sorted, and will be all too aware of the additional costs invoked at this time of year! If you're still looking however, or possibly hoping to pick up a last minute bargain, then you can search for local hotels here.

We would love to hear any personal experiences or feedback from the events we feature - if you've been or are going to this parade, please post any of your own comments or reviews in the box below. To purchase tickets for this event, use the links below.

For details of all the most popular New Year's Day parades, including those in Dublin, New York, Pasadena and Philadelphia, see our Parades page.