Cast members from Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical took their outrageous makeup and colourful costumes to Covent Garden Piazza this morning to help London Mayor Boris Johnson launch a new initiative for the West End.
West End It’s Time is 50 days of promotions, entertainment and events aiming to offer even more reasons for a trip to the West End. Among the highlights of the initiative is West End Live, the weekend that sees London’s favourite musicals take to the stage in Leicester Square, which this year takes place on 20 and 21 June. Also included in the initiative are traffic free shopping days, a Taste of Spain festival in Regent Street and music events in China Town, Carnaby Street and Covent Garden.
Speaking at the launch of West End It’s Time, Johnson said: “It is immensely encouraging to see West End businesses coming together to ensure we keep attracting shoppers and tourists into town during these tough times. The latest figures show we are doing extremely well fighting the economic downturn and actually bucking the trend with a significant increase in tourists to London last year. However, there is no time for complacency and the West End It’s Time initiative, combined with our £2.4 million ‘Only in London’ marketing drive, which begins this week, will sell our great capital to visitors from the UK and abroad. It is vital that we all continue shouting from the rooftops that the West End is a great day out whether filling your shopping bags, visiting a show, or grabbing a meal.”
More information about West End It’s Time can be found at www.westendtime.com, where there is also the opportunity to win hundreds of West End prizes via the West End Time To Win Wheel.
MA