8 Argyll Street · Oxford Circus · London W1F 7TF
The Palladium: a grand theatre on a very small street
Two and a quarter thousand seats, a hundred years of variety history, and an address on Argyll Street, which is about as wide as a lane and sits a hundred metres from the busiest pedestrian crossing in Europe. The building is magnificent. The kerb outside it is not.
A hundred metres away, and the single busiest pedestrian junction in the country. On a Saturday in December the crowd around it does not thin at any point between ten in the morning and ten at night.
Four things about this particular corner of W1
The theatre is easy. The two hundred metres around it are the job.
Narrow and short
Runs between Oxford Street and Great Marlborough Street. There is no room for vehicles to hold.
A hundred metres north
The diagonal crossing and the tube entrances. Permanently, genuinely crowded.
A different crowd entirely
Unlike most theatres, the Palladium sits inside a retail district. The pavement is not yours.
December, and it is enormous
The Palladium pantomime is a fixture. Family audiences, matinees, and the West End's worst month.
What the Palladium puts on
More varied than most West End houses, and the audience changes completely with it.
| What is on | When | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Pantomime | December and January | Families, matinees, a great deal of kit |
| Musicals and long runs | Varies | Standard West End evenings |
| Concerts and one-night shows | Year round | Often a single night, so a sell-out crowd |
| Variety and comedy | Year round | The house's traditional business |
| Awards and televised events | Occasional | Restricted access and specific arrival arrangements |
| Sunday concerts | Some weeks | Quieter streets, and a much easier evening |
W1 from Kent
The West End sits north of the river. Evening traffic in is the variable; the return after the show is much quicker.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Evening out | After the show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 14 miles | 50–75 min | 30–45 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 14 miles | 50–75 min | 30–45 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 22 miles | 60–90 min | 40–55 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 27 miles | 65–95 min | 45–60 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 27 miles | 60–90 min | 40–55 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 36 miles | 70–105 min | 55–70 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 38 miles | 75–105 min | 55–75 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 61 miles | 100–130 min | 80–95 min |
Working the Oxford Circus end of the West End
Set-down happens on the approach, not on Argyll Street
The street is too narrow and too busy to hold a vehicle, and on a matinee day it is full of shoppers as well as theatregoers. We set down on Great Marlborough Street or the approach to it, which is under two minutes' walk and considerably less fraught than trying to get to the door itself.
Pantomime season is a different service
The Palladium panto runs through December and January with matinees and evening performances, drawing family audiences with children, pushchairs and coats. That means a different vehicle, a different set-down and a much larger time margin, because December in the West End is the worst traffic of the year. Book it early; it is one of our busier December fixtures.
Matinees collide with the shopping crowd
A Saturday matinee at the Palladium ends in the middle of the afternoon on Oxford Street. It is the single busiest combination of circumstances in central London. We collect further out on those days and the walk is slightly longer, which is unavoidable and still faster than the alternative.
Sunday concerts are the easy ones
One-night concerts on a Sunday are a completely different proposition: quieter streets, lighter traffic, and a set-down considerably closer to the door. If you have a choice of date for a touring show, a Sunday at the Palladium is the pleasant version.
London Palladium questions
Argyll Street, and the crowd around it.
Can you drop us outside the theatre?
On the approach rather than on Argyll Street itself, which is too narrow and too busy to hold a vehicle. The walk from where we set down is under two minutes.
Where do you collect after the show?
Off Great Marlborough Street or towards Regent Street, clear of the theatre exit and the Oxford Circus crowd. The exact spot and registration go to your phone before the curtain.
Is the pantomime booking different?
Yes. Family audiences, matinees, children and coats, in the West End's worst traffic month. We allocate a different vehicle, allow a much larger margin and would encourage booking early.
What about Saturday matinees?
The hardest version. A matinee ending mid-afternoon on Oxford Street is the busiest combination in central London. We collect further out and the walk is a little longer.
How long does it take from Kent?
Fifty minutes to two hours in the evening depending on where you start, and considerably quicker coming back after the show.
Are Sunday shows easier?
Much. Quieter streets, lighter traffic and a closer set-down. If you have a choice of date, take the Sunday.
Can we eat before the show?
Yes, and there is plenty within a short walk. An earlier drop costs nothing extra when it is built into the quote.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking and unaffected by traffic, the crowd or an overrunning performance.
West End stages and guides
The theatre district, venue by venue.