Bus passengers across London should allow extra time this weekend, with a packed calendar of sport, music, exhibitions and street events expected to slow traffic and force diversions in several parts of the capital.
The disruption runs from Thursday 8 October through to Sunday 11 October, but the busiest pinch points fall on Saturday and Sunday. Football crowds, a central London march, a cultural procession, a half-marathon and a Wembley running event all coincide, and each one will bring road closures, heavier footfall and slower journeys on surrounding routes.
Transport for London is urging people to plan ahead and check before travelling. The TfL Journey Planner and the TfL Go app will show the latest diversions and alternative routes, and it is worth checking again on the day, because closures around major events can change as crowds build and clear.
Weekend bus diversions at a glance
Specific bus route numbers have not been listed for every closure, so passengers should not assume their usual stop will be served at the usual time. The areas and time windows below are the ones where delays and diversions are expected to bite hardest.
| Area | When | What is happening | Expected bus impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central London, Victoria Embankment to Whitehall | Saturday 10 October, 12pm to 6pm | March via Westminster Bridge, York Road, Waterloo Bridge and Strand | Extensive road closures and bus diversions; large crowds and delays expected |
| Southwark to Westminster | Saturday 10 October, 3pm to 6pm | Cultural procession from St George’s Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral via Lambeth Bridge and Parliament Square | Bus diversions in place; traffic delays expected |
| Central London, Hyde Park and Westminster | Sunday 11 October, 9am to 2pm | Half-marathon starting and finishing at Hyde Park via The Mall, Trafalgar Square, Strand, Whitehall and Parliament Square | Extensive road closures and bus diversions; local delays expected |
| Wembley | Sunday 11 October, closures 5am to 2pm; race 9am to about 11.30am | Annual 10k running event starting at First Way and finishing at Olympic Way | Extensive closures and diversions; some roads reopen between 12pm and 1pm |
| Brent Cross, A41 and A406 | Ongoing until 28 October and into November | Lane restrictions on the A41 Hendon Way and A406 North Circular westbound, with a contraflow to follow | Buses continue to serve the area but journeys may take longer; some diversions during overnight closures |
Saturday: march, procession and football crowds
Saturday 10 October is the most complicated day in central London. From 12pm until 6pm, extensive closures will support a march from Victoria Embankment to Whitehall. Its route takes in Westminster Bridge, York Road, Waterloo Bridge and the Strand, which means buses that normally cross the river or run through Westminster and Waterloo are likely to be diverted and stops in the area may be moved or suspended while crowds pass.
Later that afternoon, from 3pm until 6pm, a cultural procession will travel from St George’s Cathedral in Southwark to Westminster Cathedral. It will pass along St George’s Road and Lambeth Road, cross Lambeth Bridge, and continue via Millbank, Abingdon Street, St Margaret’s Street, Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and Victoria Street. Diversions will be in place on that corridor too, so anyone travelling between Lambeth, Westminster and Victoria should expect a slower journey and check which stops are open before setting off.
Sport adds to the pressure. Emirates Stadium hosts an Arsenal match from 12.30pm until 2.30pm, Stamford Bridge hosts a Chelsea match from 3pm until 5pm, and Wembley Arena has music events from 11.45am until 2.45pm and again from 4.45pm until 7.45pm. ExCeL London runs exhibition events from 9am until 5pm, Alexandra Palace runs an exhibition from 10am until 5pm, and there are evening events at The O2, from 6pm until 10.30pm, and the Royal Albert Hall, from 6.30pm until 9.30pm. None of those venues closes a major road on its own, but together they mean busier stations, busier pavements and more traffic before and after each event.
Sunday: half-marathon and Wembley 10k
On Sunday 11 October, the half-marathon takes centre stage in central London from 9am until 2pm. Starting and finishing at Hyde Park, runners will pass through The Mall, Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Whitehall, Parliament Square and St James’s Park. Extensive closures and bus diversions will support the race, so cross-river and Westminster area services face another disrupted morning, even after Saturday’s march has cleared.
Wembley faces an earlier start. Closures and diversions will be in place from 5am until 2pm for the annual 10k. The run starts at First Way and finishes at Olympic Way, taking in Fulton Road, Albion Way, North End Road, Bridge Road, Forty Lane, The Paddocks and the A4140 Fryent Way, before returning via Wembley Park Drive, Olympic Way, Fulton Road, Wellers Way, Humphry Repton Lane, Harbutt Road, Exhibition Way, Wembley Park Boulevard and South Way, with a lap around Wembley Stadium. The race itself runs from 9am until around 11.30am, and certain roads are expected to reopen between 12pm and 1pm, but bus passengers should treat the whole 5am to 2pm window as disrupted.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Alexandra Palace hosts an exhibition from 10am until 4.30pm, ExCeL London hosts exhibitions from 10am until 5pm, Selhurst Park hosts a Crystal Palace match from 2pm until 4pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts American football from 2.30pm until 5.30pm, and the Royal Albert Hall has an evening performance from 7.30pm until 10.30pm.
Thursday and Friday warm-up events
The weekend build-up actually begins earlier. On Thursday 8 October, the Royal Albert Hall hosted a performance from 2.30pm until 9.30pm, while O2 Academy Brixton held a music event from 7pm until 11pm. On Friday 9 October, Trafalgar Square hosts an exhibition from 10am until 6pm, The O2 has music from 6.30pm until 10.30pm, the Royal Albert Hall has a performance from 7.30pm until 10.30pm, and London Stadium hosts a West Ham match from 8pm until 10pm. Increased footfall and traffic are expected before and after each of those events, with some venues using local closures to manage pedestrians and vehicles safely.
Brent Cross works continue in the background
Separately, drivers and bus passengers around Brent Cross still face the A41 flyover programme. Lane restrictions remain on the A41 Hendon Way until Wednesday 28 October, and on the A406 North Circular westbound through Brent Cross interchange until Friday 20 November. A contraflow system will operate on the A41 flyover from Thursday 29 October until Friday 20 November. Buses will continue serving Brent Cross, but reduced road space means journeys may take longer, and some services may divert during overnight closures. London Streets has covered the scheme in detail in our guide to the Brent Cross A41 and A406 roadworks.
How to beat the disruption
- Check the TfL Journey Planner or TfL Go before you leave, and again before the return leg, for the latest diversion and stop closures.
- Allow extra time around the Saturday 12pm to 6pm march, the Saturday 3pm to 6pm procession, the Sunday 9am to 2pm half-marathon and the Sunday 5am to 2pm Wembley closures.
- If your bus is diverted, walk to a stop outside the closure where possible, as services often resume their normal route beyond the affected streets.
- Consider Tube or rail for the central sections on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, when river crossings and Westminster area roads are busiest.
- For football and arena events, arrive earlier than usual and expect slower buses in the hour before kick-off or doors, and again as crowds leave.
It is also a heavy weekend for rail and motorways. Rail passengers should read our round-up of London Overground weekend closures affecting the Suffragette, Weaver and Windrush lines, while drivers using the orbital should check our guide to M25 weekend closures hitting links to the M3, M23 and M40.
The practical message for this weekend is simple. If you are travelling by bus on 10 or 11 October, especially through Westminster, Waterloo, Lambeth, Wembley or Brent Cross, build in extra time, have an alternative route in mind and check TfL’s live information before you set off. With so many events landing on the same two days, a few minutes of planning will save a long wait at a suspended stop.
