New Year's Day 2027 in London: the parade, what's open, and the transport reality
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New Year's Day in London is a parade through the road closures. The London New Year's Day Parade brings marching bands and floats from Piccadilly to Parliament Square from midday, with the West End closed to traffic; the railway is on a bank-holiday timetable with heavy engineering works; and the first flights of the year leave before the first trains. Here is how the day fits together.
Parade route and timings
The London New Year's Day Parade starts at about 12:00 from Piccadilly (by the Ritz) and runs via Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall to Parliament Square, finishing at about 15:00. It is free to watch from the pavements, with paid grandstand seats around Piccadilly and Whitehall. The route and the streets either side close to traffic from the morning until late afternoon; NYE fireworks clean-up closures on the Embankment can still be in place in the morning. The organisers publish the exact 2027 route and timings in the autumn.
What's open on 1 January
More than on Christmas Day: many attractions, museums and galleries open (some from 11:00 or 12:00), most shops open with sale hours (Oxford Street's central section is pedestrianised this winter, which makes the sales easier on foot — L("oxford-street-pedestrianisation-taxi-drop-off.html", "Oxford Street pedestrianisation and drop-off points")), and pubs and restaurants operate although hotel brunches are booked. Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew are open on their final weekend (they close on 3 January). Everything is quieter than a normal Friday until the afternoon.
Rail works on 1 January
New Year's Day is a bank holiday, so trains start late and run a reduced timetable, and it sits inside the Christmas engineering window: the Thameslink core, Paddington and Euston have all had New Year closures in recent years. National Express and the airport coaches run a holiday timetable. The engineering works tracker has the London closures as they are confirmed.
Airports on 1 January
Flights operate normally from 06:00. Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line start late on a bank holiday and may be affected by Paddington works; Gatwick Express, Stansted Express and Thameslink likewise. A fixed-fare car from central London at 04:00–05:00 is the standard booking for the first flights of the year, often combined with a New Year's Eve pickup. See New Year's Day airport transfers.
Fares
| Journey on 1 January | Saloon (fixed) | MPV (fixed) |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel → parade (drop-off outside closures, e.g. Green Park side) | from £110 | from £110 |
| Central London → Heathrow | from £85 | from £100 |
| Central London → Gatwick | from £123 | from £138 |
| Central London → Stansted | from £124 | from £139 |
| Central London → Luton | from £113 | from £128 |
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Frequently asked questions
- What time is the London New Year's Day Parade 2027?
- It has started at about 12:00 from Piccadilly in recent years and reached Parliament Square by mid-afternoon. The 2027 timings are confirmed by the organisers in the autumn.
- Is the Tube running on New Year's Day?
- Yes, on a bank-holiday (Sunday-style) timetable with later first trains. Night Tube runs on the night of 31 December into 1 January only.
- Are shops open on New Year's Day in London?
- Most large shops and shopping centres open, usually from 10:00 or 11:00, with sales continuing.
Essentials for international visitors
Flying in from abroad? The six things that catch people out, in one place. Full detail, with official links, in our UK visitor essentials guide.
Entry
Most visitors from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia need a UK ETA (£20, apply in the UK ETA app, valid two years) — airlines have enforced it since 25 February 2026. eGates from age 8 for EU, US, Canadian, Australian and most other visa-free passports. More ›
Money
Pounds sterling; cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, contactless taps up to £100. Choose to pay in pounds when a terminal offers your home currency. Prices include VAT and there is no tourist tax refund. More ›
Phone
Free Wi-Fi at all London airports; UK SIMs and eSIMs from £75 in every arrivals hall; EU roaming depends on your operator. WhatsApp +44 20 8888 9988 works from any country. More ›
Christmas & New Year
Bank holidays on 25 and 28 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. No public transport at all on Christmas Day, reduced service and engineering works on Boxing Day; shops shut on 25 December. Pre-booked cars run every day at the fixed fare. More ›
Children & luggage
Child seats on request when you book. In a licensed private hire car children may travel without one if none is available (under-3s on the rear seat). Tell us the bag count and the right size of car turns up. More ›
Emergencies
999 or 112 for police, fire or ambulance; NHS 111 for urgent advice; A&E is free at the point of use, but bring travel insurance. Plugs are Type G, 230 V; traffic drives on the left — look right. More ›
Book your fixed-fare car
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