London's Lord Mayor's Show 2026: First Polish-descent Lord Mayor Bronek Masojada leads 6,500-strong pageant

London's annual Lord Mayor's Show took place in the City of London on Saturday, November 14: the new Lord Mayor, Bronek Masojada, arrived by ceremonial barge on the River Thames before leading a procession of about 6,500 people, 250 horses and more than 50 floats over 4.6 kilometres, watched by more than 350,000 spectators. Masojada is the first British citizen of Polish descent to become Lord Mayor of the City of London, and the City's 698th Lord Mayor.

A 6,500-strong procession with 250 horses and 50 floats

The procession set off at 11 a.m. from Mansion House, travelling via Cheapside, St Paul's Cathedral and Fleet Street to the Royal Courts of Justice, then returning via the Embankment and Queen Victoria Street — a 2.86-mile (4.6 km) route ending at 2:30 p.m. Among the floats was a replica of Tower Bridge with working rising bascules. The BBC broadcast the show live from 10:45 a.m.; this year also marks 100 years since the BBC first broadcast the procession, on radio in 1926 and on television in 1937.

First Polish-descent Lord Mayor succeeds the first Lady Mayor

Masojada, the former chief executive of insurer Hiscox, came to the UK from South Africa and serves as alderman for the Billingsgate ward. He formally took office at the traditional Silent Ceremony on Friday, November 13, succeeding Dame Susan Langley — the first person to hold the title of Lady Mayor. The Polish Institute in London noted that Masojada is the first British citizen of Polish descent to hold the office, and Polish community groups joined the procession.

Thames barge tradition revived

On Saturday morning Masojada left Westminster at 8:30 a.m. aboard the Royal Shallop Jubilant, accompanied by the Sheriffs and a flotilla of livery company boats, coming ashore at HMS President to join the procession — the first revival of the river journey since 2017. It echoes the Show's origins in 1215, when the Lord Mayor had to travel by river to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. Now in its 811th year, the Lord Mayor's Show is one of the world's oldest and largest civic processions.

Sources: City of London Corporation; BBC; Polish Institute in London.