Central London is likely to be far busier than normal this weekend because of the “Pride in London” parade on Saturday, 29th June.

Several other events are also taking place in London this weekend, and several roads will be closed.

Most Transport for London (TfL) services will operate, but services and stations, especially those in central London, will be particularly busy.

People travelling may need to queue before being able to board their train and should plan ahead and allow more time for journeys.

In central London, some bus services will be diverted or stop short of their normal destination because of the road closures.

On Friday, 28th and Saturday, 29th June, Oxford Circus Tube station may need to be closed at short notice because of industrial action.

Anyone wishing to view the parade should travel to Bond Street, Hyde Park Corner, or Marble Arch stations, while those who want to watch the parade or attend events in Trafalgar Square or Soho should use Bond Street, Charing Cross, Embankment, Tottenham Court Road, Victoria, or Westminster stations.

It may be necessary to restrict access to some stations and make those exit-only.

One of Pride in London’s official partners is Transport for London, and the company supports Pride month as part of its policy of providing a more LGBTQ+ inclusive network and workplace.

Transport for London’s theme for this year’s Pride is ‘Every Story Matters 2024: Spotlight on Volunteering’, which is designed to highlight the impact volunteering has on the LGBTQ+ community in London.

Transport for London staff and seven grassroots LGBTQ+ groups, including Pink Singers and Skate Gals & Pals, have been recognised for their work through a photographic portrait series.

That has the theme ‘Every Story Matters 2024: Spotlight on Volunteering’, and can be seen at Vauxhall and Victoria Tube stations.

The London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL, played a role in developing a dress for the figurehead of the Transport for London float for the parade. Robert-Paul Dragota, an MA Costume for Performance alum, submitted the winning concept, and that will be revealed at the parade.

Earlier this year, Channel 5 produced a six-part show documentary that went behind the scenes to show how the Transport for London network operates during major events such as Pride.

It shows how staff worked to ensure the smooth running of the network, including the specialist control centre that oversees the Tube, bus and road networks, and can be seen on My5.

During last year’s London Pride parade, the network had its busiest Saturday since December 2019 with 6.9 million entries and exits on the Tube network. 

To coincide with London Pride in 2022, Transport for London displayed Pride-themed photographs and posters across the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Elizabeth Line, and bus stations.

Travellers in east London should note that the southbound Blackwall Tunnel will be closed for traffic over the weekend until 5.00 on Monday morning.

It’s going to be a busy one this weekend and it will be really exciting to see everyone come together for the parade. We encourage people travelling around London, whether for Pride celebrations or to other destinations, to check before they travel.

Pride is an important celebration for us and this year, for TfL, we’re honouring the staff and community groups who put hard work and time into improving experiences for the LGBTQ+ community.

Emma Strain, Transport for London’s Director of Customer Relations