London's Leicester Square re-opens after 18 month renovation

London’s Leicester Square was officially re-launched last night in a ceremony attended by the city’s mayor Boris Johnson.

Calling it “an urban oasis,” Johnson said the square – whose renovation took 18 months (causing logistical problems for last year’s London Film Festival) and cost £15.3 million – will become a “beacon for world premieres and stars of the silver screen”.

The Square is back open to the public today and has a range of free activities running through til Sunday night including film screenings and Q&As.

Costumed characters from the upcoming movies Top Cat and Ice Age 4 will be appearing over the weekend.

On Sunday Film4’s FrightFest will be celebrating its 13^th year in the city with ‘Lawn of the Dead’, encouraging members of the public to gather in the Square’s gardens dressed as zombies.

Leicester Square re-opens just in time to host the premiere of Ridley Scott’s hotly-anticipated Prometheus on May 31^st. Stars of the film, including Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron, will be in attendance.