A busy road junction in the centre of London's West End, Piccadilly Circus has been elevated into a popular tourist attraction. Essentially it's a round open space connecting Regent Street with Piccadilly, dominated by the 19th century Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. However, it's worldwide fame means millions of visitors use Piccadilly Circus as a meeting point when exploring the West End.
For first-time visitors to London the location of Piccadilly Circus is sublime. Exquisite Victorian buildings form a 360-degree panorama, including the Criterion Theatre, London Pavilion, and the old Swan & Edgar department store. From here, roads link visitors to some of London's most popular areas, including the West End theatres, Soho, Mayfair, Leicester Square, Chinatown, Regent Street and St James's.
After the busy shopping streets and popular attractions of the West End, many visitors take time to sit and rest their legs at Piccadilly Circus. Street performers are found in abundance, especially in the summer months.
Piccadilly Circus Underground station is located beneath Piccadilly Circus and is one of London's oldest and busiest.
Part of the Piccadilly Circus fame comes from the illuminated advertising boards that encircle it. Perrier was the first, using incandescent light bulbs in 1908. British meat extract drink Bovril was the first to install neon lights and Coca Cola has had one here since 1954. The most famous illuminated board was a quote by John Lennon, which replaced Nescafé with imagine all the people living life in peace.