| Where: | London at the Piazza, Covent Garden. Parade starts by St Paul's Church |
| When: | Weekday in late June or early July |
| Time: | 4.30 pm |
The lease on the land at Covent Garden is paid annually each summer with a special rent of five red apples and five posies of flowers, in a custom with origins that date back hundreds of years. Dignitaries, trustees and a Town Crier parade through the piazza, handing each of the apples and posies to the freeholders in remuneration for their annual rent. At one time fruit and flowers were the mainstay of the market on the site. The modern ceremony itself was started in the early 1990s, and the “peppercorn rent” tradition itself is a rare survivor, with only a handful of similar payments around the country. Expect a colourful procession accompanied by a jazz band.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 the ceremony should be on Thursday 2nd July at 4.30. It varies in date but is usually in June or July on a weekday, often a Thursday.
It’s free and all are welcome.
Click here for more: https://coventgardenareatrust.org.uk/covent-garden-rent-ceremony/
and here https://londonist.com/london/history/the-covent-garden-rent-ceremony
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