There was a royal festival feeling in the West End over the weekend for the Coronation of King Charles III. Not only were the eyes of the world on central London, but visitors from all over flocked to see the pomp and ceremony Britian is known for.

While our street cleansing team and security teams braced themselves, local businesses prepared for a huge increase in visitors to the area.

Matt Harris, Heart of London’s Data & Insights Manager, takes a look at the post-Coronation visitor numbers as they’re coming in:

The West End area saw a 69% increase in footfall based on a comparison of the same weekend as last year.

The HOLBA-specific area saw a 57% increase.

The pull of the Coronation was also felt in the two weeks leading up to the big day. From 24th April to 7th May footfall was up 55% than the 3-month average in the West End.  And 44% higher than the 3-month average in the HOLBA-specific area.

Data is currently indicative of the wider picture and represents just domestic visitors. International visitor figures will be available next month.