Make the Coronation a once in a lifetime experience!

So much has changed in a year. This time last year, we were preparing to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee over the first weekend in June. And less than a year later, we are getting ready for the Coronation of King Charles III this weekend.

In this article we explain what is happening when, and share some ideas on how to save money on your Coronation celebrations.

The Coronation – what is happening when?

The Coronation stretches over three days from Saturday 6th to Monday 8th May. A brief summary of what is happening when is:

Saturday 6th May

• The Coronation will take place late morning at Westminster Abbey. 
• Before the Coronation there will be The King’s Procession, when King Charles and Queen Camilla travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. 
• After the Coronation there will be The Coronation Procession, with Charles, Camilla and other members of the Royal Family returning to Buckingham Palace before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to close the day’s ceremonial events.

Sunday 7th May

• In the afternoon, there will be street parties – Coronation Big Lunches – across the UK. 

The Coronation Big Lunch initiative is being overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. The Queen Consort has been Patron of the Big Lunch since 2013. 

You can read more about Coronation Big Lunches below.

• In the evening there will be the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. It will be produced, staged and broadcast live by the BBC. 

Performers are expected to include Ed Sheeran, Lionel Richie and the Spice Girls, with various others – including Adele, Elton John, Harry Styles, Take That and Kylie Minogue – also being rumoured, depending on availability. 

There will also be a guest appearance of The Coronation Choir : a one off group created from community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom.

Monday 8th May

• Monday is an extra Bank Holiday for you to relax after all the celebrations! And if you need a few ideas on how to save money on fun things to do, check out our recent article Things to do on a budget this Bank Holiday season.
• Another option for Monday 8th May is to join in an initiative called The Big Help Out. This aims to get people to volunteer for different kinds of work in their local communities and make a lasting difference after the Coronation weekend. 

The Big Help Out is organised by The Together Coalition and a range of partners including The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the UK.

The Coronation Big Lunch 

Sunday 7th May is the day for communities across the UK to join in the celebrations by sharing food and fun together. So why not consider organising a street party as part of the Coronation Big Lunch?

The Coronation Big Lunch is being organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden project, and there are many resources available to help make your event a success. Check out the Big Lunch website for a free Coronation Big Lunch pack. There are various resources up for grabs including bunting, cake toppers, tea towels and food flags – but some are limited and available just on a first come first served basis, so get in there quickly!

There is also a Big Lunch map where you can post details of your event if you are happy for it to be shared.

If you are organising a street party, here are some general tips that might be useful:

• Your street party – and any related publicity – should only include residents and neighbours. It is not a public or open event.
• Organising a street party along the above lines does not need a licence. But it is worth checking with your local council whether they require you to complete any kind of simple application form.
• The exception to this is if you want a road closure for your street party. If this is the case, then you need to contact your local council ideally 6 weeks in advance to let them know where and when the road closure will take place. 
• If it is too late to organise a road closure, the alternative is to have a “street meet” on driveways or front gardens, as long as it does not obstruct other pedestrians.
• You do not need a risk assessment for your street party, but need to give careful consideration to the safety needs of all those attending.
• You do not require a music licence for a street party unless any amplified music is being billed as one of the main purposes of the event, similar to a music festival.
• If you plan to sell alcohol you will need to check whether you need a Temporary Events Notice. This currently costs £21 and covers events of up to 500 people.

The biggest success factor for a street party is to share the load as much as possible and get everyone involved in some way, for example setting up tables, chairs, gazebos, bunting etc, bringing food and drink, playing music and organising activities for the children. 

Sharing responsibility between a group of people also ensures that the cost of the event is spread out fairly, which means that everyone can have a good time and also save money on their celebrations.

We hope that this article has provided the information you need to help you to decide what you are going to do for the Coronation and save money in the process.

Do visit us here again soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.