Piccadilly Circus

About Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is a lively central junction in London, in the heart of town. It was built in 1819 to connect Regent, Oxford and Regent Streets. A circus, from the Latin word ‘Circus’, meaning ‘circular’, is an area with a round open space at a street juncture.

In 2018, Circus venues include Regent's Street and Leicester Square on the south side, Piccadilly Circus on the north, Shaftesbury Avenue, Shaftesbury Society, Haymarket, Haymarket at Oxford Circus, Cross Drummond Street and Drummond Street.

Piccadilly Circus, London WIJ 9HP
0343 222 1234

Facts about Piccadilly Circus

 

The central area has major traffic junction status, making it a busy meeting place and a tourist attraction in its own right. It's close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End and Piccadilly Circus used to be, but now various booking sites are based there.

It is surrounded by a number of famous buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre. And that under the plaza is Piccadilly Circus Underground station, one of the main subway systems in London. 

Piccadilly and Regent Street, otherwise known as Oxford Circus South and Oxford Circus North, are the junctions where Piccadilly Circus meets Regent Street. In 1819 Regent Street was under construction and there was an open area between two buildings. An open area was known as a "Square". 

The Earl of Shaftesbury had a home here and Lady Hutton lived nearby. The junction was known as Regent Circus South or Lord Hutton Square. It was not until the mid 1880s that it was nicknamed Piccadilly Circus. 

Still, formerly Oxford Circus South and Oxford Circus North is known as Piccadilly Circus.  A busy junction is the "heart" of a "great thoroughfare" in London and is shared by vehicles and people arriving from Piccadilly which "lives" near Hyde Park Corner.

Piccadilly Circus is a terminal station in southeast London on the Bakerloo line. It opened on 10 March 1906 and, in 1928, was extensively rebuilt to handle an increase in traffic. The junction originally had gas street lamps before electrification of the Bakerloo line. 

Electric billboards appeared on the London Pavilion in 1927, as did automated traffic lights in 1929. The lights were not yet automatic until 1932, when they replaced the manual patterns, as well as the electric junctions that were connected to the traffic lights. 

The small circus became a one-way junction on 19 July. During World War 2, many servicemen´s clubs and whorehouses in the West End of London tried to attract British servicemen stationed in England and they encouraged them to visit even though they knew that this was risky. They hoped that the British servicemen, however, would be successful at once, and that there was not the danger that was causing.

Holford's plan for a double-decker Circus, like the original, for instance, will try to improve traffic flow in the areas around the edge of it. The Holford Circus will have an upper deck containing pedestrian areas. Ultimately, it will be a pedestrian heaven, with some ground-level space for cars.The Ulster Circus travelled throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Brazil, Africa, and the Americas. On average, it brought 100,000 visitors a year to the UK and Ireland. 

Hire Promotional Staff for Piccadilly Circus

If you would like professional, Sampling Staff or London Promotional Staff for your upcoming activity at Piccadilly Circus, then get in touch with us today. You can call or email our local London office at the details below.

Additionally, you can also check out a bit more about this office, as well as recent reviews on our Varii Promotional Staff (London) Google Business Profile.

Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
0203 637 9653

Travelling to Piccadilly Circus

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