During the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, several venues in Central London will host sporting and cultural events:
Hyde Park
Horse Guards Parade
The Mall
Trafalgar Square
Westminster – Olympic Torch Relay
Areas around Park Lane will also be implementing changes for the 2012 Games.
This page is designed to keep you informed about the London 2012 Games in your area and provide you with the information you need to plan ahead for the Games.
Hyde Park
This summer, Hyde Park will be the venue for the Olympic Triathlon and Marathon Swimming events. Although much of Hyde Park will remain open to the public, temporary viewing and athlete areas will be constructed on the north bank of the Serpentine, which will be closed to the public. Installation of these structures will begin on 1 June.
The Triathlon starts and finishes in Hyde Park and, with the exception of two ticketed spectator areas on the finish line, it is a free-to-view event. This is likely to result in large crowds in the area on event days. The cycling phase of the race leaves the park and goes around Hyde Park Corner and down Constitution Hill. Road closures will be in place on event days in this area. For more information please visit the Get Ahead of the Games website
Live Sites
In addition to hosting two Olympic events – Hyde Park will be home to BT London Live Hyde Park between 28 July and 11 August. Londoners will be able to come together to celebrate the Olympic Games by viewing live events and by participating in a range of sports too. Entry to BT London Live Hyde Park will be free and further information can be found at www.btlondonlive.com
Three ticketed Celebration Concerts held to mark the Olympic Torch Relay, and Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies will take place on 26 July, 27 July and 12 August.
London 2012 Shop
Hyde Park will host The London 2012 Shop at Hyde Park, which will be located on the football pitches to the south of Hyde Park, and will be open to the public from 1 July to 16 September 2012.
After the Games
After the Olympic Games, we will remove the temporary facilities and infrastructure and reinstate the park to its previous condition. The temporary infrastructure will be removed by the end of September and the parkland on which it is located will be reinstated by the end of October.
Horse Guards Parade/The Mall
The Mall
The Mall will be the start and finish point for the road events, including the Marathons, Road Cycling and Race Walks. A temporary venue will be built for these events, consisting of five grandstands as well as large video screens, athlete areas and security checkpoints.
We will begin some construction work on 6 June in some limited areas of St James’s Park. From 18 June, following the Trooping the Colour, perimeter fencing will be erected and construction work will commence on the rest of the venue. The venue will remain in place for the Paralympic Games.
The Mall itself will be closed to traffic from 18 June onwards and diversions will be put in place and signposted. The venue will be removed and access reinstated by the end of September.
Horse Guards Parade
A 15,000 seat arena will be installed on Horse Guards Parade for the men’s and women’s Beach Volleyball competition. Construction of the temporary venue will begin on 18 June at the same time as the works on The Mall.
During this time, Horse Guards Road will also be closed to general traffic, including cyclists and pedestrians, and access will only be permitted to those with a security pass.
The venue will then be removed between 13 August and mid September, following the Olympic Games and Horse Guards Parade will be restored to its original condition
Access to St James’s Park
An area of St James’s Park will be used to provide facilities for the venues including training courts, security checkpoints, spectator holding areas and offices. These areas of the park, to the north and east of the lake, will be fenced off from 18 June and will reopen in late September. The rest of St James’s Park will remain open to the public throughout the summer and a north south access route across the park will be maintained.
Following the removal of the venues, LOCOG will work with The Royal Parks to return the park to its previous condition. This work will largely consist of over-seeding and re-turfing. As the majority of this work will begin in the autumn, some sections of the park will be reinstated during the spring 2013 growing season.
Noise and disturbance
Construction of the venues will take place between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00 and will involve the use of some heavy plant machinery and the movement of some large vehicles. Although we will do our best to keep any disruption to a minimum, some noise may be unavoidable. If you experience any problems as a result of the works, please call the Community Relations hotline on 08000 722 110 and we will be happy to help.
View the Horse Guards Parade and The Mall map
Trafalgar Square
During the Paralympics Games, Trafalgar Square will be home to a BT London Live Site showing all medal events. There will also be live music and a chance for all aspiring athletes to experience and try out a range of Paralympic sports.
During the Paralympics Games, from 29 August to 9 September, the area is likely to be busier than usual, particularly during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and during popular events. Please consider this if you are planning to visit the area and plan your journeys accordingly. For more information, please see the Paralympic competition schedule
For more information about travel in the local area during the Games visit the Get Ahead of the Games website
Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic Torch Relay comes to Westminster on 26 July on its journey to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony on 27 July. More details about the route of the Torch will be made available shortly. Rolling road closures will be necessary as the Torch passes through.
Park Lane
During the London 2012 Olympic Games, the London Hilton on Park Lane hotel at 22 Park Lane will accommodate members of the Olympic Family including Games officials and International Olympic Committee representatives.
To enable the Olympic Family to use the hotel, some temporary structures and facilities will need to be installed. These will include tents and cabins outside the front and rear of the hotel, which will be used for security purposes. Installation will take place between the hours of 8am and 6pm, seven days a week from 1–22 July. All temporary installations will be removed after the Olympic Games.
Local travel information
London 2012 is aiming for 100% of ticketed spectators to travel to competition venues by public transport, walk or cycle so local train services and bus routes will be busier than usual.
The London 2012 Games will attract large numbers of visitors to venues and their surrounding areas, which means some temporary traffic and parking restrictions will be needed.
Park Lane traffic and parking restrictions
The roads surrounding the London Hilton (Pitt’s Head Mews, Hertford Street, Stahope Row, Derby Street) will become a London 2012 secured area.
All vehicles entering the London 2012 secured area will require a vehicle search and a permit system will operate. However, pedestrian access will remain unrestricted.
Further information about these temporary changes will be available for local residents and businesses nearer the time.
Transport for London (TfL) is consulting the local community about further temporary changes to roads surrounding the hotel. These include the suspension of some residents’ parking bays on Hertford Street, Pitts Head Mews, Stanhope Row, Hamilton Place, Old Park Lane and Curzon Street. These restrictions would be in place from mid-July until mid-August 2012. TfL is working with Westminster Council to establish alternative parking arrangements. Consultation work is ongoing and further details will be made available from TfL nearer the time.
For more information
If you have any questions that you would like us to answer, please contact us at inyourarea@london2012.com
To find out more about travel during the Games visit getaheadofthegames.com
Get involved
From the Olympic Torch Relay and Local Leaders programme to the London 2012 Festival there are millions of ways to join in with London 2012. Events are taking place across the UK from now right until the end of the Games.
Find out how you can join in by simply visiting our Join In pages and see what’s happening in your local community.
