Oxford Street, one of the most famous shopping streets in the country, will go traffic-free for a special one-day event on Sunday 21 September.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that the road will close from Orchard Street to Oxford Circus between 12pm and 8pm for the first ever ‘This is Oxford Street’ celebration.
The event will give Londoners and visitors a chance to see what Oxford Street could look like in the future as plans to pedestrianise the area move forward. Transport for London confirmed earlier this year that a large majority of people who took part in its consultation backed the proposals.
Almost seven in ten respondents supported the Mayor’s plans to regenerate the area, while two-thirds were specifically in favour of pedestrianisation.
On the day, the street will be divided into themed areas including fashion, sport, food, music, history, heritage and wellness. Holland & Barrett will curate a wellness zone, Choose Love will run a charity installation, and Major League Baseball will take part in the sporting showcase.
Shops along Oxford Street will also be offering special deals and offers throughout the day.
Sadiq Khan said: “I’m excited to announce our landmark ‘This is Oxford Street’ event which will take place in September and offer Londoners, visitors, and businesses a glimpse of what the nation’s high street could look like in the future.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to see Oxford Street in a whole new light, traffic-free, full of music, great food, pop-ups and entertainment for everyone. As Mayor, I’m determined to unlock Oxford Street’s true potential and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue.”
Other partners welcomed the plans, with Zoe Elliot from Choose Love saying: “We are delighted to be a part of ‘This is Oxford Street’ this September… We will be selling beautiful limited edition merchandise and offering the opportunity for shoppers to buy vital supplies for refugees and displaced people. 100% of profits will help ensure we can deliver nutritious food, essential services for babies, education for children, safe shelter and much more, across 36 countries.”
Transport for London has advised people travelling to the event to plan ahead, with bus routes in the area set to be diverted from the evening of Saturday 20 September until the early hours of Monday 22 September.
Further details of activities, performances and offers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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