Piccadilly Circus is a very popular meeting point in London and always packed with tourists. To give you an idea, this is one of the most photographed places in the city! But what is so special about this square? In this post we tell many stories about Piccadilly Circus and what to find there. Come with us?
PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Anyone going to London sooner or later will end up passing by Piccadilly Circus, right in the centre of the city. Everyone loves to register the occasion by taking a picture in the square. Around Piccadilly Circus are dozens of shops and super famous commercial establishments. In addition, it is very easy to locate the location due to the amount of billboards, screens, illuminated signs that light up London nights. First of all, don't go expecting to find Times Square, in New York, because the number of big screens is much smaller. But it still has its charm, doesn't it?
Overview of the Piccadilly Circus region
Piccadilly Circus is located at the junction of several streets: Regent St, Piccadilly St, Shaftesbure Ave, and Haymarket St. Its privileged location makes it a highly accessible place for circulation. It is surrounded by several notable buildings, including London Pavilion and Criterion Theater. From there it is very easy to access other famous areas of London such as Leicester Square (a small square with a statue of Shakespeare, where there is a TKTS kiosk to buy tickets for plays and musicals at a discount), the Trafalgar Square (an immense square that is always crowded with tourists and street artists and is opposite the fabulous National Gallery) and the soho (a neighbourhood super famous for its delicious restaurants of different types of cuisine). Visitors to this bustling area often consider extending their stay to fully enjoy the vibrant city vibe and cultural landmarks. If you're planning to immerse yourself in the heart of the capital, you might want to book your stay at a hotel nearby to maximize your time exploring these iconic locations. It is estimated that approximately 35 million people walk around Piccadilly Circus every year!
THE STORY OF THE PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Piccadilly Circus was built in 1819 to connect Regent St and Piccadilly St. And since its opening, the area has been very busy as it is situated in the heart of London's theatre district. The subway station located in the square and bearing the same name was built in 1906. In 1908, it received its first advertising panel in a building in the region.
Piccadilly Circus at night
From then on, many advertisements with incandescent lamps (later neon) appeared around the square. In the early 1960s, it was determined that the site needed to be redesigned to allow for a greater flow of traffic. The expansion of the square made the trade intensify in the area and the place became a tourist meeting point. Starting in 1998, digital projectors were used for a Coca-Cola panel, the first to be computerised. In the 2000s, there was a gradual move towards LED displays, which completely replaced neon lights in 2011. Piccadilly's lights went out on a few key occasions such as during the death of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1965) and the death of Princess Diana (1997).
THE PICCADILLY CIRCUS HIGHLIGHT: THE STATUE
After the Second World War, he moved to the southwest side of Piccadilly Circus the Memorial Fountain Shaftesbury, the statue built between the years 1892 and 1893 to commemorate the works of Lord Shaftesbury, a Victorian politician, philanthropist and social reformer. The memorial is a tall column that houses a statue at the end. The statue was made entirely of bronze and aluminium and measures 1097 cm x 518 cm.
Highlight for the statue at Piccadilly Circus
Many people mistakenly believe that this is the statue of Eros, the Greek god of love, union and affinity. And this misconception is explained due to the physical resemblance to his brother, anteros, the god portrayed in the statue that is in Piccadilly Circus. Sculptor Alfred Gilbert described Anteros as the god of reflective, mature love, unlike Eros. Curious, isn't it?
HOW TO GET
The easiest way to access Piccadilly Circus is by subway! Piccadilly Circus station opens onto the square and can be accessed via the Piccadilly (marine) and Bakerloo (brown).
Read more about the UK:
Differences between England, Great Britain, United Kingdom
England: Tower of London and British Crown Jewels
England: London Eye, London's Ferris wheel