The image of Piccadilly Circus, with its huge illuminated and animated billboard in the northwest corner, is an image that instantly says “London” to people all over the world. Like Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus is a true icon. It is also one of the first places tourists go, from families with children to young backpackers, when they arrive in London.
Unless they are tourists, most of the people around Piccadilly Circus pass on their way to another location; It is the location of one of London’s main underground hubs, as well as a crossroads for dozens of bus routes. So if you want a chance to chat with some real Londoners, this is not the place to be.
And while London is a relatively safe city compared to most world capitals, if you’re going to pick your pocket, your purse will be snatched or worse, this will be the place to make it happen.
But, if you’re heading to London for the first time, you’ll end up in Piccadilly Circus sooner or later. So just get ready.
Piccadilly Circus location
At its most basic, Piccadilly Circus is a crossroads and open public space, built in the early 19th century to connect Piccadilly with Regent Street and later Shaftsbury Avenue, the heart of London’s Theatreland. Today it also connects to Haymarket and Coventry Street which lead to Leicester Square. Piccadilly Circus tube station is below and is at the intersection of several London boroughs: Mayfair, St. James’s, Soho and the entertainment area that encompasses Shaftsbury Avenue, Leicester Square and Haymarket.
Key milestones
- The Curve: Piccadilly’s large billboard is its most identifiable trademark. It practically changes from night to day and has been promoting goods and services with illuminations of different types since 1908. Coca Cola has had a continuous signal since 1954. Other long-term advertisers have included Sanyo, Samsung, McDonalds, Hyundai, L’Oreal . In 2017, the sign was relaunched as The Curve, a huge ultra-high definition electronic display capable of carrying multiple advertisements or a single large advertisement. Advertisers using the sign in 2019 are Coca-Cola, Samsung, Hyundai, L’Oréal Paris, eBay, Hunter, and Stella McCartney.
- The Statue of Eros – The statue popularly identified as Eros, the Greek god of erotic love, has become a symbol of London, appearing at the head of a popular newspaper and website. In fact, he is not Eros at all, but his lesser-known brother Anteros, the god of selfless love and charity. It was commissioned in the 1880s to honor Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, known for his philanthropy and charities. The subtle distinction of the two types of love is lost in English, which is why most people think of the statue as Eros. It is a popular meeting place for tourists and people watchers. At one point, he was in the center of a roundabout, cars and buses whizzing around him, but he was moved to the southwest corner, across from Lillywhites, a popular sporting goods store.
- The Criterion Theater – In addition to the box office and marquee, the Criterion is completely underground. It is a 142 year old grade II Victorian theater in operation, maintained and protected by a charity. He tends to schedule popular comedies and farces. In 2019, the long-running comedy, A Play Comedy About a Bank Robbery, was accepting reservations through November 3, with a two-week lead time for renewals in March.
- The Trocadero: Until around 2015, the Trocadero organized a series of tourist-oriented entertainments, entertainment halls and themed attractions that change regularly. All have now closed and the building is under consideration for a hotel development. There are still some family-oriented restaurants with American-style fast food on the edges of the building. In 2019, they included the Bubba Gumps Shrimp Company with the theme “Forrest Gump,” and The Rainforest Cafe which, despite its exotic name, has a classic children’s family menu that pleases children.
- Multiple Gambling Casinos: The Empire Casino is a Las Vegas-style casino open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It hosts World Series Poker and has a DJ bar on weekends. The Grosvenor Casino The Rialto on Coventry Street, the gateway to Leicester Square, is another 24-hour gambling casino.
- The Café de Paris – Once a glamorous nightclub, the Café de Paris, next to the Casino Grosvenor, is now used for Disco 54, an eighties-style nightclub, as well as private events.
What’s near?
London’s main theater district stretches along Shaftsbury Avenue, Haymarket and the surrounding streets, all accessible from Piccadilly tube station. Leicester Square, another popular tourist destination, is the location of London’s largest cinemas, as well as moderately priced restaurants and bars. If you are in town when there is a movie premiere, one of the Leicester Square cinemas is where it will take place and where you have the best chance of seeing some movie stars. Leicester Square is also the location of TKTS, Theatreland London’s official ticket office for last minute and discounted theater tickets.
