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Thames guide

River traffic and events on the Thames

The river never stops for a shoot. What moves on the Thames, why it means retakes, and the events worth planning around.

By the Cinecraft team: skippers and drone pilotsFacts checked 7 Oct 20262 min read

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At a glance

  • The PLA doesn’t stop river traffic to keep a shot clean. It only restricts traffic for safety.
  • Passenger boats, tugs and tows run to their own timetables, so a take with a boat in the background gets done again.
  • Races and fireworks are published well ahead, so they rarely catch a shoot out.
  • State occasions are the ones to watch: gun salutes, flypasts and processions can bring restrictions on the river and in the air.

What moves on the river

The tidal Thames is a working river. Through central London that means river buses and passenger boats running to timetables, sightseeing cruises, tugs towing barges, and the odd ship or superyacht heading for the Pool of London. Cory’s tugs alone move London’s rubbish downstream in containers on barges, working to a timetable set by the tide rather than anyone’s diary.

From our jobsThe working river, through Tower BridgeWe photographed the tug Rebelle bringing a loaded container barge through Tower Bridge and down the Pool of London, with the City stacked up behind it.Read the job

Why it means retakes

The PLA can restrict traffic for short periods when safety needs it, but it doesn’t hold traffic for continuity. So when a river bus crosses the background of a take, or a tow fills the frame, the shot gets done again. We plan for it: the shot list allows for second passes, the skipper watches what is coming and positions for the next clear window, and the busiest stretches are timed for quieter moments where we can.

MMS Marine Tow: Ex-PLA Yacht ST Katherine
A tow on the Thames. The river’s working traffic runs to the tide, not to a shoot’s schedule.

Events to plan around

  • The Boat Race, Putney to Mortlake, in the spring.
  • The Head of the River Race, Mortlake to Putney, in March.
  • The Great River Race, Docklands to Ham, in September.
  • New Year’s Eve, when the fireworks in central London bring river restrictions.
  • State occasions: gun salutes, flypasts and processions, which can bring restrictions on the river and in the air.

Races and fireworks are published well ahead, so they rarely catch a shoot out. We check the PLA’s Notices to Mariners for anything planned on your dates, and state occasions are the ones we watch closest.

Filming the events themselves

Races, regattas and celebrations on the river make great footage, and a boat is often the best seat. Filming one needs the organiser’s and the PLA’s agreement, and a skipper who knows where the boat can and can’t be on the day.

Sources

Planning a shoot?Tell us where on the river and when. We reply within the hour, 8am to 8pm, 7 days.

Plan a Thames shoot

or call 020 3039 3931

Read next

More Thames guides

A day on a Thames shoot
Thames tides for filmmakers
Permission to film on the Thames
Night filming on the Thames
All Thames guides
Thames shoot planner

Plan your Thames shoot

Tell us where on the river, when and what you are filming. We reply within the hour, 8am to 8pm, 7 days, and quote the same day for most shoots.
Rather talk? Call or WhatsApp 020 3039 3931