London in 10 photos over 2024

Count Binface, who came 11th out of 13 in this year’s London mayoral election

PA Media A man dressed as a superhero with armour and protection on his arms, wearing a cape and a grey, metallic dustbin on his head. He has also raised his arms in what looks like a fighting stance. — Count Binface, who came 11th out of 13 in this year’s London mayoral election

This year in London has been eventful with elections, sunken boats, Banksy and protests all making headlines. Here’s a look back at 10 photographs that go some way towards summing up 2024 in London.

Party boat sinks in Thames

PA Media The mast of a boat protrudes from the water of the River Thames in London. The black mast sits next to the pier it was moored to.

Horses on the loose

PA Media A black horse and a white horse gallop through central London after escaping.

On 24 April, five military horses performing routine exercises near Buckingham Palace became spooked by noise from a nearby construction site and galloped loose through the streets of the city, crashing into vehicles and causing chaos during the morning rush hour. The horses suffered some cuts and minor injuries but have now recovered.

Sadiq Khan heckled as he is re-elected mayor

Reuters Nick Scanlon, a white man with a red, white and blue rosette representing Britain First, raises his hands to his mouth while shouting at London mayor Sadiq Khan.

In May, Sadiq Khan was re-elected mayor of London for a record third term with 43.8% of the vote. During the final declaration of the result, the Britain First candidate Nick Scanlon, who received 0.8% of the vote, heckled the mayor as he began his victory speech.

‘They think it’s all over… it is now!’

PA Media Men in red and white England shirts with a disappointed look on their face as England lose the Euro 2024 final to Spain. One man in a grey T shirt rests his head on his arm.

In July, England managed to get all the way to the final of Euro 2024, but lost 2-1 to Spain. At Boxpark in Wembley, disappointed England fans found it hard to hide their feelings as England fell at the last hurdle.

Banksy comes to town

EPA A man and a woman with smartphones in their hands taking pictures of piece of art by street artist Banksy. The work itself is of a goat and it is on the side of a building in Kew in south-west London.

In August, street artist Banksy got fans excited by unveiling nine new works in nine days on streets and buildings in different parts of London. The image of a goat on the side of a building in Kew, south-west London was the first of the series of nine. The anonymous artist has unveiled 11 pieces of art this year overall.

London’s Swift era

Reuters Infront of a backdrop of the arch at Wembley Stadium, four Taylor Swift fans post with their heart-shaped sunglasses and T shirts featuring song lyrics and phrases coined by the American singer.

Grenfell Inquiry

EPA A woman in a green headscarf with her back to the camera, looks at a composite poster featuring photographs of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Weather 1 v AFC Wimbledon 0

PA Media An aerial view of the football pitch at Wimbledon stadium in south-west london. In the middle, a sinkhole which looks like large sandy patch renders the pitch unusable.

A sinkhole opened up on the pitch at Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium on 23 September following more than a month’s worth of rain across London and the east of England which resulted in flash flooding and widespread damage to property. Following an online fundraising campaign, it was weeks before the team could fund repairs and were able to play at home again.

A royal seal of approval

Reuters Six members of the London Air Ambulance helicopter crew, dressed in high-visibility orange and white coats pose for a selfie photograph with Prince William who is smiling and dressed in a black jacket with white shirt. In the background is a red helicopter.

In October, Prince William posed for a selfie with some of the crew of the London Air Ambulance Charity after going to see the two new helicopters at RAF Northolt in north-west London. The new aircraft cost £15m, but will need less maintenance than their predecessors, which means they’ll be able to attend more emergency callouts.

Renaming the London Overground

Getty Images A digital display poster on the wall of a station with the names of the six renamed London Overground lines. Liberty line is brown, Lioness line is yellow, Mildmay line is blue, Suffragette line is green, Weaver is maroon and Windrush line is red.

In November, the long-awaited official renaming of the six London Overground lines took place. What once was a single transport line, was now six, being named to reflect London’s diverse communities and their contributions to the city. The change, which cost £6.3m, was first announced in August 2023 with Transport for London (TfL) saying it wanted to give the routes distinct identities to make it easier for passengers to navigate the network.

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