King Charles III's coronation: How to plan a street party

People up and down the country will be taking part in many events to celebrate the historic occasion across the bank holiday weekend between May 6-8 – including a traditional British street party.

In most recent years, street parties have been planned around the UK for the late Queen’s numerous jubilees and a handful of royal weddings - but it was in 1919 when the nation’s love for street parties began.

The Metro reports that ‘peace teas’ were set up between households across the country to mark the end of the Great War.

Fast forward to the present day and communities will now be starting to plan the next street party extravaganza for the coronation of King Charles and the Queen consort.

There are so many things to take into consideration when it comes to party planning, especially when it involves an entire street or community.

That’s why A-Plan Insurance has offered some useful tips on where to start.

How to plan a street party for the King’s coronation

• Start by picking a date and time from May 6-8. You don’t need to stick to the official date of the coronation (May 6), or even the daytime, you could plan something on the bank holiday Monday evening if preferred.
• If you are planning a street party, you will need to contact your local council to apply for a road closure. You may still have time to register for a road closure but be quick as some councils require at least four weeks' notice before the planned date.
• Get your neighbours involved and make sure everyone meets to discuss the big day beforehand.

British street parties reportedly began in 1919 (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire/PA Images)

• Ask everyone to bring a dish and drink, and don’t forget to include vegetarian/vegan and other dietary options. Make sure you ask your neighbours to label ingredients and flag anything that contains nuts.
• Consider classic British recipes, such as scotch eggs, sausage rolls, Bakewell tarts and Victoria sponge cake.
• You could plan a barbecue if you are using private land.
• Consider whether you will buy plastic cutlery or reduce waste and encourage neighbours to bring their own.
• If you need crockery, consider buying some mismatched plates from a charity shop, they appear much more authentic, cause less waste and the charity will benefit from your purchase. You could even clean them up and return them for resale.

You could have a go at baking some classic British sweet treats such as scones (Image: Canva)

• To keep decoration costs down, task the local children with creating bunting, flags on (paper) straws, and paper chains.
• Consider setting up a Spotify playlist and sharing the link with your neighbours who can add their music to it as well.
• Ask neighbours to chip in together to arrange party insurance - if you are organising an event as an individual or as a collective, this could be something to purchase. While event insurance isn’t a legal requirement, it could protect you from a lot of issues.

You can visit A-Plan Insurance to find out more information about an insurance policy plan that suits your street party.