Lord Mayor Revives 400-Year-Old Thames Barge Journey Ahead of November Pageant

The City of London Corporation announced on 21 October 2026 that the 698th Lord Mayor Bronek Masojada will revive the historic Thames barge journey as part of the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday 14 November 2026. The journey, which recreates the route once taken by Lord Mayors travelling to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown, departs from Westminster at 8:30am aboard the Royal Shallop Jubilant, accompanied by the Sheriffs of the City and a flotilla of Livery boats. Lord Mayors historically made this journey by river, but the tradition fell out of regular practice; the last flotilla took place in 2017 when Lord Mayor Charles Bowman sailed aboard the Gloriana. The Lord Mayor's party then joins the main Show procession at 11am from the Mansion House. The procession itself involves approximately 6,500 participants, 250 horses and more than 50 decorated floats along a 2.86-mile route, returning via the Embankment. Around 350,000 spectators are expected to line the streets with millions more watching live on BBC One.