Carnival spirit to infuse Queen’s platinum jubilee shindig

Huge puppets, acrobats, dancers and musicians will join armed forces personnel for the pageant on 5 June next year

A giant dragon puppet will be the centrepiece of the platinum jubilee pageant as the story of Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign is told through street theatre, dance, circus acts and marching bands during a central London spectacular.

Described as something of a reopening ceremony for the United Kingdom", some 5,000 participants will be drawn from across the UK and Commonwealth, including military personnel, performers, key workers and volunteers for the event on Sunday 5 June next year.