London Film Premiere Tips- How to See Stars on the Red Carpet!

What happens on the Red Carpet at a London film premiere? When Visit Britain invited me to see a small press preview of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword on 16th May, I started thinking. I lived in Covent Garden, which borders Leicester Square, and have seen the set up for premieres happening so many times. Yet, I had never tried to go to one.

Out of curiousity for what happens ‘behind the scenes’ at London film premieres, I headed to Leicester Square on 10th May to see what I could discover at the official red carpet premiere. I had wanted to be earlier, but due to a prior meeting I couldn’t get there until around 4:30.

London Film Premiere: Timeline

• 4:45 Red Carpet set up, press arriving
• 6:15 Crowd entertainer circulates to get people excited, distributes some film gift bags
• 6:30pm Celebrities begin arriving, signing autographs, doing interviews
• 7:00pm Doors open in the cinema, crowd begins to leave because premiere takes place inside

In the video below, I explain how security let me in to the press area. It seemed like quite a few people were really just fans and not officially with any organisation. I think if you follow my suggestions, you could likely have the same experience as me. You can see all the great video I was able to get of Guy Ritchie, Charlie Hunnam and David Beckham.

Watch the video and let me know what you think. Leave comments here or on the Sunny News YouTube channel if you have ever attended a London film premiere or if you have questions and ideas. While every premiere can be different, knowing the suggestions I have for what to do ahead of time could better your chances of getting a selfie with a celebrity. Those tips are after the video link, so don’t miss them!

London Film Premiere: Tips for How to Plan Ahead

• Visit websites to find out when the premieres are happening. Full details are usually released a week before.
• Have big pictures of the stars to attract their attention and for them to sign.
• Bring sharpies and pens for them to do this. A clipboard isn’t a bad idea either.
• Wear comfortable shoes because you will stand for several hours- longer for an anticipated blockbuster.
• Bring an umbrella or jacket. You’ll see my camera footage is bouncy because I was nervous and even though it was 65 and sunny, once the sunrays were blocked by buildings, it was freezing outside and my hands were shaking.
• Think about your shirt choice because if you get a picture with Beckham you may be looking at it for a LONG TIME!
• Make sure your phone and camera battery are charged. Bring at least one back up battery for each.
• Arrive early. Here is the timeline for the King Arthur: Legend of the Sword premiere.
• Research the stars and think of what you’ll say to them if they’re near you to get their attention.
• If you sneak in like I did, you won’t get a wrist band. That means once you’re in, you must stay or forget it.
• Your bag will be searched because, well, you could have contact with celebrities. You’ll see a celebrity hug a fan in my footage.

London Film Premiere: Extra Tip

One thing I don’t mention in the video is that you do have to be a bit aggressive. People waiting near me were generally nice. However, at one point they invited a small group of people in my area to go even closer. I wasn’t fast enough and didn’t cut in front of people. They literally stopped the ‘volunteers’ when they got to me. Security said they could only take 15 people, and I was 16. Bummer!

I look forward to attending the press event in a few days to see the film and will include a review of it on my blog. The official opening in London is on Thursday 18th May. You can learn about the locations used in the film on the Visit Britain website.

The Sunny News YouTube channel shares even more advice for things to do and what you’ll need to know about London. This includes safety tips, pub advice, and a shopping guide. The blog also has a Guide for Americans Visiting London which is a collection of the top experiences I recommend. You’ll definitely want to bookmark it and visit the Pinterest boards created to help trip planning too.