West End Cinemas Guided Walking Tour

Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus have always been home to London’s grandest picture palaces – this is where premieres take place, royalty brush shoulders with Hollywood stars and the biggest movies play on the biggest screens. Starting with the grand former Empire ‘Theatre of Varieties’ and taking in such as the London Pavilion, you’ll see architecture that spans from the late 19th century up to the present day and includes some of London’s most striking art deco and modernist gems. At cinemas past and present, you’ll hear stories about the high-kicking dancers who entertained audiences before films in the silent era, how cinemas coped with the blackout of World War II and about the varied – and often unusual – cinematic firsts that have taken place in these iconic buildings. You’ll also be tracing the footsteps of numerous famous names: Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Harrison Ford, the Beatles and many more have all put in appearances at cinemas we’ll see on the tour.