Lights, Camera Action!

Lee Valley Regional Park’s diverse tapestry of open spaces, parkland, campsites and sports venues provide settings for a wide variety of filming, photoshoots and events.

In 2024, 88 filming days took place in the Park. From blockbuster movie scenes, TV dramas and entertainment shows, commercials, music videos, charity events and photo shoots – Lee Valley Regional Park has played a starring role in them all.

Middlesex Filter Beds in Leyton, east London provided a natural and industrial backdrop for an autumn photoshoot for fashion brand Burberry in collaboration with the fashion industry’s System Magazine.

GQ magazine teamed up with luxury goods brand, Moncler, in April for a clothing and footwear photoshoot at the nearby Waterworks Centre, providing more of that Victorian industrial backdrop mixed with inner London nature reserve.

Lee Valley Ice Centre hosted much of the opening episode of ITV’s Dancing on Ice in January and we’re excitedly awaiting the screening of a second prime-time TV show filmed at Lee Valley VeloPark that’s due to hit our screens soon!

For World Mental Health Day, Spotify launched a social media campaign filmed at Gunpowder Park in Waltham Abbey in collaboration with sound artist Louis V1 who draws on the sounds of nature in his music.

Tottenham Marshes provided the perfect early morning setting for a music video for up-and-coming Universal Music artist Elmiene. Shot at dawn, the crew used smoke machines to create an early morning misty atmosphere. See the finished result here

Hertfordshire - hailed as the ‘new Hollywood’ as it fast becomes the epicentre of national film and tv production – is home to the Park’s northern gateway at Ware, so it is perfectly positioned to provide local locations for a wide variety of on and off screen shoots. Stretching 26 miles along the path of the River Lee through Essex and east London to the banks of the River Thames, the Park’s mix of green, urban and post-industrial landscapes together with iconic sports venues, are increasingly popular with production teams.

Location filming provides vital income for Lee Valley Regional Park and helps meet the cost of maintaining the Park as an award winning destination. Filming opportunities are managed on behalf of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority by Film Fixer, the UK’s leading film service.

Oliver Guthrie, Private Land Film Officer for Film Fixer said: "The wealth of different environments, as well as the dedication of the film-friendly ranger team, means that Lee Valley has continued to grow in reputation within the Film & TV industry in 2024. The contrast of the industrial landscapes of outer London with the far-reaching greenspaces create unique vistas that inspire creativity, as well as being conveniently accessible for productions. Crews can easily service their shoots from nearby by parking their unit vehicles at one of the many car parks, as well as using the park's private roads to achieve driving shots that would be difficult on the streets of London."

Our venues are well known for hosting national and international sporting events, but they also provide versatile settings for commercial and charity events too. Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity raised almost £300K at a fundraising cycle challenge and gala dinner held in track centre at Lee Valley VeloPark in November, while the London 2012 Olympic legacy venue was also the setting once again for the IceBikeretailers’ convention earlier in the year.

The 2024 Warhammer 40K Grand Tournament saw 2000 gamers head to Lee Valley Athletics Centre to take part in one of London's biggest wargaming conventions in September.

2025 will see many areas of Lee Valley Regional Park appear in films, TV shows and commercial ventures. No spoilers but next time you’re walking in the park, and something seems familiar but you’re not sure why…you may have seen it in a magazine or on screen!