London is one of the most exciting cities in the UK. Here are the top 10 filming locations in London.

And as a London video production company we are always seeking out new and unknown locations. It offers a unique mixture of historic venues and modern, even futuristic locations that can serve a wide range of filmmakers needs. Recently the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has laid out a plan to make it the world’s most film-friendly city. Some of its breathtaking locations may serve as a source of inspiration for your corporate video production or your next experimental art film.

London’s Bridges

There are over thirty bridges in London, some of them are centuries old, and each of them provides stunning scenery that will make your footage look extraordinary. Whether you are looking for a historic monument that brings back the past or a piece of modern and futuristic architecture, you can hardly make a mistake by choosing to film on one of the city’s bridges. Getting the permits to shoot on the bridges is relatively easy and affordable.

Art Galleries and Museums, Tate Modern

London is one of the most important cultural centers in the world, hence there are thousands of cultural venues around the city. A gallery or a museum can be an excellent choice for a location if it fits the scene you are planning to shoot. Many successful filmmakers have used venues such as Tate Modern to make some of the most memorable film footage in the history of cinema. These spaces can also be used for commercials or any other video production.

Royal Horticultural Halls, Lindley Hall

A historic venue that is just over a century old, offers a unique space for video and film professionals from all around the world. In the last several decades, this location has hosted some of the most prestigious events in the business world including the Volkswagen launch event. Robbie Williams’ ‘Old before I die’ music video was filmed at this location, as well as the advertisement for the Audi Q5. The permit for shooting at the Royal Horticultural Halls is relatively easy to obtain, but it may come with a significant fee.

Piccadilly Circus

 

An iconic location in the heart of London is featured in countless movies, videos, and commercials. It is a perfect place to film, because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere and beautiful architecture. However, because of the busy traffic and a lot of tourists, organizing a set on this location may be challenging. In order to get all the necessary documentation, you need to get in touch with The Special Events & Filming Team in Westminster. You can find the application form at this link.

The Royal Parks

London is famous for its amazing parks. The Royal Parks include Hyde Park, St. James’s Park, The Regent’s Park to name just a few. There are more than ten Royal parks in London and the permissions for each of them are easily obtainable. The fees depend on the size of the production, the size of the crew, the amount of time required and the level of disruption of the public life and wildlife. You can see the guidelines for film and photo sets here.

The Historic Royal Palaces

These venues need no special introduction, structures located in The Royal Historic Palaces have stood for centuries as pillars of the Western civilization. Over the years the Tower of London opened its doors to some of the biggest productions of our time, such as Mission Impossible: The Rogue Nation, Doctor Who, Great British Castles: The Tower of London. In addition, all other facilities of the complex, frequently collaborate with film and video productions. You can find all the necessary details for organizing a set in the Royal Historic Palaces here.

Alexandra Palace

Located in the north part of London, Alexandra Palace is one the largest open spaces in that part of the city with almost 200 acres of parkland that is available to film and video professionals. This is the very site from which the first regular television transmission in history was made. Some of its most exciting facilities for filmmakers include a Great Hall that has 6.400m², The West Hall, Palm Court and a unique Victorian Theater. Clint Eastwood shot parts of his well-known film ‘Hereafter’ at The Alexandra Palace, while countless other movies, music videos, and ads have been staged and filmed at this location. For more details about permits and regulations follow this link.

Borough Market

One of our favorite locations and not too far from our London production company office is Borough Market. Perfect for the outdoor scenes that need to have a feel of a busy day, Borough Market is one of London’s premier locations for filming. It offers a nice backdrop of market stalls with a premium and contemporary feel that add to the authenticity of the footage you are producing. This location is well-known among the filmmakers since such blockbusters as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Diary of Bridget Jones or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels have all been filmed here. As a matter of fact, this is the place Bridget Jones calls her home in the movies. You can find additional information about shooting here at this link.

Notting Hill

The entire Notting Hill area is an extraordinary place to create your films or videos. It grew in popularity after the famous film that carried its name, but this area of London hosts many colorful and lively locations that might be a perfect fit for your production. The Portobello Road or the Portobello Market are just a couple of attractive destinations that are fun to work at and provide a perfect scenery for interesting commercials, music videos or any other sort of video production. If you are looking for an interior location that can offer an authentic historic look Notting Hill area might just be the place you are looking for. You need to get in touch with the local authorities in order to get all the required permits, filming in this area without the required papers is risky and may result in huge fines.