Covent Garden has become the go-to destination for brands looking to activate experiential marketing campaigns in London, and arguably the UK. But what are the levers that are driving this domination of the UK brand experience scene?
As a co-founder of experiential agency Backlash, we have had the privilege of activating in Covent Garden on a regular basis since 2017, delivering campaigns for the likes of Jo Malone London, Marc Jacobs, Space NK, Kith, Elemis, Beauty Pie, Bucherer, Sezane, Prada Beauty and many more. From this experience, we have had a front-row seat and have developed a clear understanding of why brands continue to flock to the Piazza.
Scarcity of bookable space in London.
A key point to note is that despite London having a wealth of high footfall shopping, entertainment and recreational hotspots, there are very few bookable event spaces where brands can activate and engage with their audiences. Outside of a handful of ‘brick and mortar’ venues which are either costly to hire or have inconsistent availability, event spaces in the centre of London are extremely limited – If Oxford Street decides to finally go pedestrianised then that will be a game-changer, but I can’t see that happening any time soon.
Despite the scarcity of event space in London, Covent Garden has created something special that I believe would stand the test of new competition and continues to draw experiential marketing spends no matter what the competition throws at it and here are some of the key reasons why.
Top tier destination.
When visitors from across the UK, the globe or even Londoners think about where to head for a day out, to hit the shops or to be entertained; Covent Garden must be one of the top destinations that comes to mind. It is unique in that it’s mostly pedestrianised which allows for a more relaxed experience, with a great blend of retail, pubs, restaurants and street entertainment – This means you can nearly always guarantee a strong flow of traffic to your event even when the weather is bad.
High value audience demographic.
From an audience perspective it stands alongside the busiest shopping destinations in London with 38M+ visitors per year; 30% of which are from the top 2 affluent ACORN categories which is 12% higher than the London average. This makes it especially attractive to luxury and premium brands looking to target audiences that align with their positioning. Beyond shoppers, the area also benefits from a working population of over 220,000 which provides strong footfall throughout the week and non-peak hours.
A stylish retail experience.
The Piazza and surrounding areas is an interesting mix of flagship stores such as Apple, Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury, which recently doubled the size of its flagship store, and Arc’teryx, a new addition; as well as a carefully curated mix of premium high street and boutique stores, which ultimately creates a retail experience you cannot find in any other parts of London or cities around the UK – This unique mix of retail draws in a wide range of shopper audience types with a focus on fashion-forward and beauty-savvy consumers.
The spiritual home of fashion and beauty experiences.
In-person experience-based marketing has seen a huge rise in investment in recent years in comparison to traditional forms of media due to younger audiences’ increasing engagement levels with in-person events and the emotional connection it can create with a brand when compared other forms of marketing.
Fashion and beauty brands have been one of, if not ‘the’ strongest categories for pushing the creativity of the brand experience world for several years, with Covent Garden becoming their go-to destination for brand experience activations due to the prestige of the shopping experience which aligns with their luxury lifestyle credentials. It has become so synonymous with these categories that fashion and beauty fans now expect to see exciting and inspiring brand activations every time they visit.
Key moments in the year.
Despite being outdoors (unless you activate a brick & mortar pop up) we see constant footfall throughout the year with poor weather months having little effect. There is however a definite summer peak and an even busier lead up to Christmas as Covent Garden turns on the festive charm with its Christmas decorations and busy ‘Christmas tree light turning on’ event. Historically we see peak appeal in the run up to Christmas where brands are looking to be on consumer’s radar ever earlier as people look to spread the cost of Christmas across paychecks. Pre-Covid, December would be the busiest time of year for most consumer-facing activities; now we are experiencing peak interest from brands from the end of October up until the week before Black Friday (as brands don’t want to compete with the discounting frenzy), leaving December to the brands that have traditional consumption or gifting appeal at Christmas.
Additionally, this year for the first time, Covent Garden will be further cementing its status as a beauty hotspot with the ‘BIG BEAUTY’ event. Running from 4th to 14th September 2025, Covent Garden’s iconic Piazza, surrounding streets and world-class boutiques into a multi-sensory playground of beauty experiences where flagship stores, global icons and cutting-edge pop ups converge to showcase the future of beauty.
It delivers results.
Brands who have activated in Covent Garden have seen first-hand the great results it can deliver, with a primary factor being the 38M+ visitors it receives annually. But there are other factors that drive strong return on investment: It is a shopping destination where shoppers have planned their visit and have money to spend so react positively to sales promotions. It is also a planned shopping destination where consumers are in a relaxed mood and have time to engage with experiential promotions; the average shopper spends 150 minutes in and around Covent Garden.
To conclude, Covent Garden’s blend of location, audience and cultural relevance has made it the UK’s most sought-after playground for experiential marketing. For brands looking to create standout moments in a setting that guarantees visibility and resonance, Covent Garden is difficult to beat.
James Barnes, Business Director & Co-Founder of Backlash
With over 20 years of experience in experiential marketing, James has honed his skills at leading global advertising and experiential agencies before co-founding Backlash in 2017. Backlash was established as a response to the burnout often seen in agency life, creating a nurturing environment where creativity can thrive. Our mission at Backlash is to deliver "Big Agency Thinking, without the Price Tag," ensuring that the transformative power of experiential marketing is accessible to brands of all sizes, regardless of budget.
