King’s Coronation 2023: Olympic Way renamed King’s Way to mark King Charles III celebration

To honour the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, north London neighbourhood Wembley Park will be holding a free-to-attend Coronation Day celebration. To mark the Wembley Park coronation celebration, the neighbourhood will be temporarily reverting the name of its well-known processional route to Wembley Stadium, Olympic Way, to its original name, King’s Way, throughout the entire month of May in recognition of His Majesty’s accession to the throne.

The route is widely recognized as ‘Wembley Way’ by football fans and music enthusiasts around the world. The renowned avenue can trace its roots back to the early 1900s, when it was originally named "King’s Way".

On July 6, 1948, Minister of Transport Alfred Barnes MP re-named it “Olympic Way” during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, also known as “the Austerity Games”, hosted in Wembley that year. Over the years, this famous walkway has welcomed countless athletes, musicians and international celebrities and featured on millions of TV screens across the world as a backdrop to events ranging from Live Aid in 1985 to the more recent UEFA Euro 2020 Games.

Visitors to the Wembley Park Coronation Celebration will be able to enjoy the ceremony on deck chairs from a giant screen positioned in front of the National Stadium, opposite the Olympic Steps. A stage below the screen will host a variety of live entertainers, curated by Busk in London.

Along the route, large Union Jack-themed ceremonial banners will be on display for the occasion to adorn “King’s Way”, with party freebies including Union Jack flags, paper crowns, top hats and other decorations gifted to everyone attending the event.

Shoreditch-based Urban Food Fest will operate a pop-up food market, with picnic tables and an array of street food available on the day, from cake pops and stuffed cookies to pizza and gourmet burgers, while celebrated Wembley Park bakery Bread Ahead will delight visitors with their famous doughnuts. A selection of artisan traders will sell locally sourced homewares, gifts, and fashion items.

Around Wembley Park’s new outdoor stage, the Sound Shell, there will be a special area for families with young children with various forms of entertainment such as face painters, magicians and stilt walkers. For memorable pictures of the day, a Royal Photo Booth will also provide visitors the opportunity to pose with ‘King Charles’.

Julian Tollast, head of masterplanning and design at Wembley Park, said: “As custodians of this iconic site, we hold Wembley Park’s rich history close to our hearts; it continues to influence many aspects of the neighbourhood’s naming and landscaping design. I can think of no better way to celebrate the King’s Coronation than with a nod to Olympic Way’s legacy, temporarily renaming it with its former title – King’s Way.”

The Wembley Park Coronation Celebration will be free to attend on a first come, first served basis, up to capacity. For more information, visit the Wembley Park website.