Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is one of those names that carries weight before you arrive. The phrase itself -circus being the Latin for a circular junction of roads -describes something that feels genuinely mythic about London. The illuminated advertising hoardings. The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain with its aluminium winged figure (not actually Eros, as most people call it, but Anteros -a common mix-up). The constant flow of people from every direction. Piccadilly Circus Underground station sits directly beneath all of this, connecting the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines and releasing passengers into one of the most intensely visited public spaces in Europe.

For visitors to London, this is often the first recognisable destination they head for -the thing they have seen in films and on television and want to see in person. The reality is both better and worse than the image. Better because the scale and energy of the junction at night is genuinely impressive. Worse because there is very little to do in Piccadilly Circus itself beyond looking at it. The good stuff -Soho's restaurants, Regent Street's shopping, the theatres of Shaftesbury Avenue, the galleries of St James's -begins a few minutes' walk in every direction.

Station Overview

Piccadilly Circus station opened in 1906 as part of the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway. It sits in Zone 1 and serves the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines. The station has no step-free access -it relies entirely on escalators and stairs, with no lifts in operation. The ticket hall is beneath the circus itself, accessed from the pavements around the roundabout.

Lines and Connectivity

The Piccadilly line (dark blue) connects Piccadilly Circus to Green Park (2 minutes west) and Leicester Square (2 minutes east), continuing to Heathrow Airport in the west and Cockfosters in the north-east. For Heathrow Airport, Piccadilly Circus is a slightly slower starting point than Green Park or King's Cross but perfectly usable.

The Bakerloo line (brown) connects Piccadilly Circus to Oxford Circus (3 minutes north) and Charing Cross (2 minutes south), continuing to Paddington northbound and Elephant & Castle southbound. The Bakerloo line here is primarily useful for reaching Oxford Circus or Waterloo.

Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue

The junction above the station is the meeting point of five roads: Piccadilly, Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Coventry Street and Haymarket. The famous advertising screens occupy the curved facade of one building on the north-east side of the junction -they have been lit since 1908, with electricity replacing the original gas lighting. The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in the centre of the island -with its winged aluminium figure -was erected in 1893 as a memorial to the philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury and is one of the first statues in London cast in aluminium.

Shaftesbury Avenue runs north-east from the circus and is the heart of London's West End theatre district. The Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud, Queen's and Palace theatres are all on or just off Shaftesbury Avenue within a 5-minute walk of the station.

Facilities

Piccadilly Circus station has toilets, TfL Wi-Fi and a small newsagent in the ticket hall. The surrounding area is one of London's densest concentrations of retail and food -though much of it is chain restaurants and tourist-trap establishments on the circus itself. Better quality food is available on the streets radiating outward: Soho to the north, St James's to the south-west, Covent Garden to the east.

Accessibility

Piccadilly Circus has no step-free access. There are no lifts and significant flights of stairs between the street and the platforms on both lines. Passengers with mobility requirements should use Green Park (Piccadilly line) or Oxford Circus (Bakerloo line) instead, both of which have accessible facilities. This is a significant limitation and TfL has plans for accessibility improvements but these are long-term.

Travel Tips

• The famous advertising screens are best viewed at dusk or evening when the illumination is most dramatic. The fountain and the roundabout can be viewed from the pedestrian island in the centre, accessible via pedestrian crossings.
• Regent Street runs north from the circus -Apple, Hamleys, Anthropologie and the main Regent Street flagship stores are within a 5-minute walk. The street curves beautifully northward in a consistent Georgian arc.
• Soho begins immediately north of the circus -Brewer Street, Old Compton Street and Frith Street are 5-minute walks through a neighbourhood of independent restaurants, bars, record shops and theatres. Old Compton Street is the heart of London's LGBTQ+ community.
• There is no step-free access at Piccadilly Circus. If you or anyone in your party has mobility requirements, use Green Park (Piccadilly line, one stop west) or Oxford Circus (Bakerloo line, one stop north) instead.
• The station exits can be confusing -there are multiple exits onto different parts of the circus. The Regent Street exit heads north; the Shaftesbury Avenue exit heads north-east; the Haymarket exit heads south toward Trafalgar Square.

Nearby Attractions

Shaftesbury Avenue Theatres -A 5-minute walk north-east. The Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud, Queen's and Palace theatres are all on or near Shaftesbury Avenue. The TKTS booth at Leicester Square (10 minutes walk) sells same-day discounted tickets.

Soho -5 minutes walk north through Brewer Street. London's most eclectic neighbourhood -independent restaurants, record shops, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the Prince Charles Cinema and LGBTQ+ venues concentrated on Old Compton Street.

Regent Street -North from the circus. Apple flagship, Hamleys (seven-floor toy emporium), Anthropologie and major fashion stores. The curved Georgian architecture is remarkable.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

Piccadilly Circus Underground operates approximately 05:30 to midnight Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 23:30 on Sunday. The Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines both have Night Tube on Friday and Saturday nights. The junction itself is lit 24 hours. The most atmospheric time to see the advertising screens is between 20:00 and midnight on any evening, when the combination of lights and activity peaks.