The Lord Mayor’s Show is one of the oldest and best-known events in the City of London, and it takes place on Saturday 14 November 2026. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur gives you a planned drop-off, a pick-up point you can find and a car that waits, on a day when many streets are closed. Hourly hire starts from £55 per hour in an E-Class or S-Class (£65 in a V-Class) with a 4 hour minimum, and we are open 24 hours a day. To book, call +44 7954 016371 or request a quote.
Lord Mayor’s Show 2026: The Facts to Check First
Event listings give the Lord Mayor’s Show 2026 date as Saturday 14 November. The procession is listed as setting off from Mansion House at about 11:00 and running into the early afternoon, with an end time of around 14:30 in some listings. It heads west through the City toward the Royal Courts of Justice, where the new Lord Mayor takes an oath, and then returns. Some listings also describe a river section earlier in the day.
Sources differ on exact times and on the route, so treat these as a guide, not a timetable. The organiser publishes the programme and the route map at lordmayorsshow.london, and Transport for London publishes travel advice at tfl.gov.uk. Check both in the week of the show, and send us any change.
Why Use a Lord Mayor’s Show Chauffeur
The show is free to watch, and a large crowd fills the streets along the route. For most visitors, the difficult part is not the procession but the journey to it. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur helps in four ways.
- Road closures. Streets on and around the route close, and a chauffeur plans the drop-off outside them.
- Crowds. Pavements fill from early morning, and a planned pick-up point saves a long search.
- Timing. You arrive for the part of the programme you want, not before or after.
- Comfort. The car is a warm place to wait, to change or to rest between stops, particularly in November.
If you are travelling with older relatives, young children or guests who find long walks difficult, a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur plan is often the difference between a good day and a tiring one.
Who Books a Lord Mayor’s Show Chauffeur
The show draws several kinds of visitor, and each has a different need.
- Families. A car takes the group to a point near the route and collects them afterwards, with space for coats, pushchairs and bags.
- Corporate guests. Firms in the City host clients for the procession, and a car collects guests from a hotel or an airport and brings them to the office.
- Visitors from outside London. A chauffeur meets guests at a station or an airport and takes them to the City.
- Residents and workers. A car takes you to the City for the show and home again.
Whatever the group, the plan is the same: agree a drop-off point, agree a pick-up point and keep your phone on.
How the Day Works With a Lord Mayor’s Show Chauffeur
A typical day has four stages. Adapt the times to your own plan, and check the organiser’s programme before you set them.
- Morning. Your chauffeur collects your group from home, a hotel or a station, with time to arrive before the roads close.
- Drop-off. The car stops at the agreed point outside the closed streets, and you walk the short distance to the route.
- During the show. The car waits nearby, or leaves and returns at a time you set.
- Afterwards. The chauffeur meets you at the agreed point and takes you on, whether that is lunch, a hotel, a station or home.
The two points that matter to a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur are the drop-off and the pick-up. Both need to be outside the closed roads, and both need a name, not just a street, so the group can find the car.
Road Closures and Where Your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur Can Stop
On the day, the City is not like a normal Saturday. Streets along the procession route close to traffic, and the closure often extends to the roads around it. The organiser and the City publish the details in the days before the show.
A few rules help you plan:
- Choose a drop-off on the edge of the closure, not inside it.
- Pick a spot with a clear name, such as a hotel, a station or a well-known building.
- Have a second option, in case the first is busy or closed.
- Keep your chauffeur’s number in your phone, and message when you are ready.
Your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur will not be able to drive through closed streets. The aim is to put you as close as is practical, and to return to the same place when you are ready.
A Held Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur for the Morning
If you want a car for the whole morning, a held Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur is the simplest option. The chauffeur drops you at the agreed point, waits nearby and returns when you message. Hourly hire includes unlimited stops inside London, and you can extend at the same rate.
A four hour booking from 09:00 to 13:00 starts from £220 at £55 per hour. If your plan includes lunch after the show, extend the hire, and the same chauffeur takes you there. Tell us your times when you book, and we confirm one price for your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur.
Stations and Public Transport Nearby
The City has many stations, and some are close to the route, including Bank, St Paul’s, Blackfriars, Temple and Cannon Street. On the day, stations near the route can be very busy, and some entrances may be restricted.
Public transport is a good choice for one person with a flexible plan. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur is more suitable when:
- You are travelling with a group, with coats and bags.
- Someone in the group finds crowded stations difficult.
- You have a lunch booking or a meeting after the show.
- You are arriving from an airport with luggage.
For a visitor from outside London, a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur can meet you at the station and take you to a quieter point close to the route.
Corporate Hospitality and Client Days
Many firms in the City use the show as a client event. Guests arrive in the morning, watch the procession from an office or a hosted venue and leave after lunch. The cars are part of the day’s service.
A corporate plan usually covers:
- Cars from hotels to the office, timed before the roads close.
- A held car for senior guests, with a pick-up point agreed in advance.
- Cars after lunch, taking guests to a station, an airport or a hotel.
Our corporate chauffeur service offers named chauffeurs, cost centre references and monthly invoicing for company bookings. If your party is a Christmas event in the same area, read our guide to a City of London chauffeur.
Airport and Hotel Arrivals Before a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur Day
Guests who fly in for the weekend need a plan from the airport. A pre-booked transfer meets them at arrivals, tracks the flight and takes them to the hotel. Heathrow is around 15 miles west of central London, and London City Airport is around six miles east of the City. We also cover Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, and fares start from £75. The airport transfers page lists each airport.
If your guests land on Friday evening or Saturday morning, book the hotel transfer and the show-day car together, so one chauffeur team plans both.
Choosing the Car for Your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur
Our fleet is the Mercedes E-Class, S-Class, V-Class and the Range Rover. All are current generation, with Wi-Fi, chargers and water.
- Mercedes S-Class. Suits a senior guest or a couple. It takes 4 passengers with 2 cases.
- Mercedes E-Class. Suits one or two guests on a short journey. It takes 4 passengers with 2 cases.
- Mercedes V-Class. For groups of up to 7 passengers with 5 cases, such as a family.
- Range Rover. For guests who prefer a taller car. It takes 4 passengers with 3 cases.
You can see the cars on our fleet page. A family with a pushchair usually fits best in the V-Class.
A Sample Day With a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur
This plan is for a family of five who arrive at a London station at 09:30 and watch the procession from a point near the route. Check the times against the organiser’s programme before you use them.
- 09:30. The chauffeur meets the family at the station.
- 09:50. Drop-off at the agreed point outside the closed roads.
- 10:00 to 13:30. The family watches the show. The car waits, or returns when called.
- 13:30. The chauffeur collects the family at the agreed pick-up point.
- 13:45. Lunch at a restaurant, with the car waiting if needed.
- 16:00. The chauffeur takes the family back to the station.
One car for six and a half hours starts from £357.50 at £55 per hour. The final price depends on the times and the number of stops, and we confirm it before you book.
Children, Older Guests and Step-Free Needs
Large public events are harder for some guests than others. If your group includes young children, older relatives or anyone who finds walking or standing difficult, tell us when you book. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur can plan the drop-off as close as the closures allow, and agree a pick-up point with a short, flat route.
A few practical steps help:
- Choose a spot with seating nearby, such as a café or a hotel lobby, and name it as the pick-up point.
- Bring only what you need, because the car can hold the rest.
- Plan a break in the car in the middle of the day.
- Tell us if a guest uses a wheelchair or a mobility aid, so we can plan the right car and the right stop.
Child seats are free on request. Tell us the age and the number of children, and the Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur arrives with the right seats fitted.
Weather and What to Wear for Your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur
Mid-November in London is cold, and rain is common. A day on the pavement is long, and a car is a dry place to change layers, store umbrellas and warm up. If you are staying for the whole programme, take a spare layer and leave it in the car.
Guests dressed for a client lunch need a different plan from families dressed for the street. If you are in smart clothes, ask the chauffeur to wait nearby, so you can step in and out of the cold. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur who knows the plan will keep the car warm and ready.
Viewing Spots and Meeting Points
The procession passes many streets, and each has a different view. Your plan is better if you pick the spot first and the car second. Ask your group where they want to stand, then give us the nearest road outside the closure.
If you have a hosted viewing spot, such as a window in an office or a hotel, send us the building’s name and the entrance guests use. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur can then drop guests at the right door, and your host does not need to give directions.
For anyone who wants to move along the route during the morning, a held car lets you leave one spot and join another. The chauffeur collects you and takes you around the closed streets to the next point.
After the Procession: Lunch and Onward Travel With a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur
When the show ends, the streets stay busy for some time. The crowd moves toward stations, restaurants and hotels at the same moment. A pre-booked pick-up avoids the queue.
Many groups use the car for:
- Lunch in the City or the West End, with the car waiting or returning later.
- A transfer to a hotel to rest before an evening event.
- A journey to an airport or a station for guests going home.
- A drive to a second event, such as a concert or a dinner.
If you are staying in London that weekend, the EFG London Jazz Festival starts on 13 November, and many guests combine events. Our jazz festival chauffeur guide explains how to move between venues.
If the Programme Changes: How a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur Adjusts
Public events change. A start can move, a route can be adjusted and a closure can be extended. We follow the organiser’s updates in the days before the show, and we tell you if a change affects your plan.
On the day, message your chauffeur if something changes for you, for example a late arrival or a different viewing spot. The chauffeur adjusts the pick-up point and keeps the car close. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur plan is a set of agreed points and times, and it can move with the day.
Questions People Ask Before Booking
- Do I need to book far ahead? Book as soon as your plans are fixed. Bookings can be made up to 12 months ahead, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the pick-up (50% refund from 12 to 24 hours).
- Can the car go along the route? No. Streets on the route close, and the car stops outside the closure at a point we agree with you.
- What if my guests arrive on different trains? We arrange separate pick-ups, or one pick-up at a fixed time and place, as you prefer.
- Can you collect us from the airport on the same day? Yes. A pre-booked transfer meets you at arrivals, and the same team plans the rest of your day.
Planning Checklist
Send us these details, and the plan is ready.
- The date and the time you want to arrive near the route.
- Your start point: home, hotel, station or airport.
- The size of your group, and any needs such as short walking routes.
- The place where you want to be dropped off and picked up.
- The time you want to leave, and where you want to go next.
- A phone number we can call on the day.
With these six items, we confirm your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur, the pick-up times and one price. If the programme changes, you tell us, and we adjust the plan. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the pick-up (50% refund from 12 to 24 hours).
Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur
A few errors appear every year, and each is easy to prevent.
- Arriving late. Roads close before the procession starts, and a late car cannot get close.
- No pick-up point. Without a named spot, the group and the car cannot find each other in a crowd.
- Relying on one route. A closed street changes the plan, so have a second option.
- No phone contact. The chauffeur needs to call, and the group needs to answer.
- Forgetting the weather. November can be wet, and a short wait in the car helps.
Avoid these five, and your Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur plan will run calmly.
Related Guides
If you are planning other events in London, our events chauffeur hire page lists the occasions we cover, and our special occasion chauffeur page covers evenings out across the year. For the same weekend, the EFG London Jazz Festival guide explains how to move between venues.
Book a Lord Mayor’s Show Chauffeur
Bespoke London Chauffeurs is a TfL licensed London private hire operator, open 24 hours a day. Our chauffeurs are DBS-checked, wear a dark suit and tie, and speak English. Call +44 7954 016371, message us on WhatsApp, email contact@myblc.co.uk or request a quote. We are at 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ.
Send your date, your group size and your destination, and we reply with one price. A Lord Mayor’s Show chauffeur can then be confirmed for Saturday 14 November.
