I’m in  New York for BlogHer this week (yay!) but if I weren’t, I know exactly what we’d be doing today: the pop-up maze in Trafalgar Square!

How cool is this? A giant pop-up maze has appeared in Trafalgar Square as part of a campaign by the West End Partnership to encourage visitors to enjoy getting a little lost whilst exploring the area. I don’t see anything on the site or in the press release about it being free, BUT the PR who sent the tip to me said it is free so hopefully he will not disappoint us!

For five days beginning 2 August, visitors can enjoy exploring the maze and wondering through many of the West Ends most famous streets, lanes and squares. Each ‘Street’ within the maze will highlight some fascinating facts about the cultural history of the West End, such as Carnaby Street, which apparently inspired Ray Davies to write The Kinks hit ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’, or Trafalgar Square, which is said to be home to the world’s smallest police station. The maze is open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day.

Upon reaching the heart of the maze, visitors will be rewarded with an exclusive taste of the amazing entertainment, culture, dining and shopping on offer throughout The West End. The rolling programme of activity highlighting the best that the West End has to offer, includes:

• Monday – A vibrant showcase from some West End’s top shows – including Priscilla Queen of the Desert drag queens, some Avenue Q puppets and couple of Sherlock Holmes!
• Tuesday – China town arrives with a bang as giant paper dragon and lion puppets weave their way through the maze and live dragon candy making sessions take place at the centre of the maze
• Wednesday – London’s finest Saville Row tailors will be trimming the hedge first thing
• Thursday – One of the UK’s leading young orchestra groups, The Platti String Quartet, will perform a variety of stunning pieces, filling the maze with beautiful music.
• Friday – On the last day it’s time to party as we celebrate the iconic Carnaby Street with a swinging 60’s vibe, including live music from 60’s tribute bands and lots of vespas – groovy! There will also be a small exhibition of photographs from iconic 60’s photographer Phillip Townsend, picture include Twiggy, the Rolling Stones and many more. (Phillip will be available for interview if requested)

The maze itself measures approximately 30m x 20m and each hedge is 2.4m high. The maze has been constructed using 118 individual 2m sections, with a mixture of laurel and thuja hedging. Six articulated lorries delivered the hedging to Trafalgar Square on Sunday evening and a dedicated team worked through the night, taking approximately six hours, to build the maze structure.