Pass the Keys Top Ideas for Celebrating the Coronation Weekend

This weekend, King Charles III’s coronation will mark the first time a monarch has been crowned in seventy years! To mark the momentous occasion, the UK will have an extra bank holiday on Monday 8th May 2023 and the nation has been invited to celebrate in style, with events taking place across the long weekend for the whole family to enjoy.

From parades, street parties and volunteering events, there is plenty going on across the country. Here’s a breakdown of what’s to come:

Saturday, 6th May 2023

On Saturday, after a procession down The Mall, Charles III and Queen Camilla will enter Westminster Abbey at 13:00 to be crowned. Afterwards, there will be a procession back to Buckingham Palace and the newly crowned monarchs will greet crowds from the palace for the flypast. The viewing areas will be open from 06:00 on Saturday, along the Mall, Whitehall, and Parliament Square.

The entire event will be televised and available to watch on BBC One but there is also an opportunity to watch the event on big screens set up at Hyde Park, St James Park, and Green Park in London. Outside of London, large viewing screens will be available at Birmingham Centenary Square, Belfast City Hall, Cardiff Castle, Times Square in Newcastle, Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, and Ross Bandstand in Edinburgh. 

Sunday, 7th May 2023

Neighbours and communities across the UK are being invited to share food and fun together as part of the Coronation Big Lunch. Later in the evening, various iconic locations around the UK will be lit up with projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations in Lighting Up The Nation. Locations across the UK confirmed to be taking part in the Lighting Up the Nation display are: 

• Blackpool Tower
• Sheffield Town Hall
• Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
• Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh
• Tyne Bridge, Newcastle 
• Millennium Bridge, Gateshead
• The Eden Project, Cornwall
• Belfast City Centre

Monday, 8th May 2023

On Bank Holiday Monday, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, aiming to raise awareness of volunteering. Thousands of organisations up and down the country are getting together to help local communities. 

Special Events Across the UK

• Foodies Festival in Cardiff: The touring celebrity food and music festival will take place at Bute Park across the weekend
• Coronation Ball in Edinburgh: Scottish country dancers from around the world will be dancing together to celebrate the occasion.
• "Blitz Party" in Hereford: "The Shack Revolution" wedding venue will be turned into a World War Two bomb shelter, with live swing music, burlesque cabaret, and vintage DJs
• Sing For the King in Bristol: The city will come together and mark the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III through song
• Big Coronation Garden Doo in Glasgow: An interactive church service followed by a garden picnic with plenty of activities and entertainment.

For a comprehensive list of events taking place near you this bank holiday weekend, please visit Events – Coronation of His Majesty The King & Her Majesty The Queen Consort