Is love really all around us? Is Christmas really all around us? Richard Curtis’ seasonal smash hit movie Love Actually (2003) set in our Nation’s capital (if you’re also a Brit, of course) certainly thinks so. And if you’re currently watching the festive film you might want to know where all the Love Actually filming locations in London are located. And with my detailed list, you can recreate the magic of the film in real life!
If you’ve been living under a rock since 2003 (or, God forbid, you weren’t even alive yet…), Love Actually follows the lives of loved-up Londoners and their relationship dramas around Christmastime. Some of the character’s narratives intertwine, including the Prime minister, his sister and her toad of a husband, a recent widower and his heartbroken son… It’s all going on! The vast majority of the Love Actually locations are in London, but one or two are in Surrey and France.
Love Actually is dated, it’s got fat-shaming, it’s got three male characters in authoritative roles crossing the line with their female subordinates… But then it was released in 2003, and not much was woke in 2003. I still kinda love this film. The cast is sensational and I watch it almost every Christmas. So, let’s check out all the Love Actually film locations in London and beyond!
Love Actually Filming Locations in London and Beyond
Where was Love Actually Filmed?
Love Actually Filming Locations in London
1. Heathrow Airport in Longford
Enough to melt the coldest of hearts, the opening (and closing) scenes are set in London’s Heathrow Airport. The soppy, manipulative, heartstring-pulling narration by Hugh Grant accompanies footage of real-life reunions at the arrivals gate.
2. Westway Studios on Olaf Street in Notting Hill
The tone of the film is instantly lowered when Bill Nighy’s ageing rock star Billy Mack hits our screens. He is recording his new single ‘Christmas is all around’ at the Westway Studios in Notting Hill. I can’t find a Westway Studios on Olaf Street in Notting Hill at the time of writing, but the film was released 17 years ago. It probably closed down or relocated.
3. Multiple Establishing Shots Around London
In quick succession over the opening titles, we’re treated to views of the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from Waterloo Bridge, the main atrium at Whiteleys Shopping Centre dressed up for Christmas, South Molton Street adorned with fairy lights, ice skating in the Central Court outside Somerset House and finally Trafalgar Square with the famous gifted Christmas tree from Norway. Some of the most recognisable Love Actually filming locations in London!
Phew! I need a lie down now.
4. 2a Blenheim Road in Chiswick
Colin Firth’s Jamie lives at this address in Chiswick with his cheating, no-good girlfriend. It’s also where he discovers his cheating, no-good girlfriend is shagging his own brother behind his back. Brutal.
It’s a Grade II listed former Art Studio and I can say, with some confidence, that neither you nor I would ever be able to afford it.
5. EMA Textiles Ltd. Building in Shoreditch
Renamed to ‘Dowe Street’ for literally no reason, this EMA Textiles warehouse building stood in for Harry and Sarah’s place of work (Alan Rickman and Laura Linney respectively). It’s actually on the corner of Tabernacle Street and Clere Street in Shoreditch. They work at a company called ‘Fairtrade Co. LTD’ which also doesn’t make a lot of sense and is a super vague name.
6. Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair
Peter and Juliet’s wedding (with the cringey flash mob, remember?) was held in the cute and ornate Grosvenor Chapel. It’s in the swanky neighbourhood of Mayfair within touching distance of Hyde Park. I’m still not over the fact Keira Knightley was just 18-years-old when she portrayed a married lady. I’m currently 27-years-old and cannot comprehend being someone’s wife at my tender age.
I really want to know where their wedding reception was filmed, though! It was clearly somewhere on the banks of the River Thames. If you have any idea, please let me know in the comments.
7. Shepperton Studios
I don’t usually mention studios in my film locations blog posts but I feel it’s important in this instance. Unfortunately, the Love Actually scenes set in 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, was shot at Shepperton Studios. Yes, the exterior scenes as well as the interior ones. So that famous dance by Hugh Grant and that famous speech with Billy Bob Thornton’s US President were shot in a studio.
It is a shame that 10 Downing Street isn’t a Love Actually filming location. But c’mon, it’s not really a surprise, is it?
8. St Paul’s Church in Clapham
This church seems a lot drabber than the one Peter and Juliet got married in. But then I guess it is a funeral scene, it would be hard for any church to not look somewhat solemn. Daniel hosts his wife Jo’s ceremony in St Paul’s Clapham where everyone is forced to listen to the tunes she picked out for the occasion, including the Bay City Rollers. As if they weren’t already distraught enough.
9. Millennium Bridge
The infamously unsafe Millennium Bridge briefly crops up between Peter and Juliet’s wedding reception and Alan Rickman’s first appearance on screen.
10. Heat Radio on Winsley Street in Fitzrovia
In an effort to publicise his goal to reach Christmas N.1 on the charts, Billy Mack does some radio interviews. I believe the location of his radio interview was in the Heat Radio studios standing in as ‘Radio Watford.’ Now they’re based in Soho but at the time of filming in 2003, Mappin House in Fitzrovia was the location of their studio.
11. Benches in front of 56 Upper Ground in Gabriel’s Wharf
One of the most picturesque Love Actually filming locations, Daniel and Sam have a much-needed heart-to-heart on a South Bank bench. The benches are literally right in front of The Wharf restaurant on Queen’s Walk in Gabriel’s Wharf. The stone pattern on the ground and design of the railings are instantly recognisable.
12. 26-27 Great Sutton Street in Clerkenwell
This is the real-life location of Mark’s supposedly ‘South Bank’ gallery which is called Nile Street Gallery. It’s actually situated in Clerkenwell on Great Sutton Street.
13. Oxo Tower Wharf on Barge House Street
Mark, apparently, lives in Oxo Tower Wharf which is so ludicrous it’s laughable. I honestly love when characters have regular-paying jobs and live in London apartments that would cost literal millions. After Juliet ambushes him at his front door and discovers that Mark is in love with her, he runs out of his flat. The door he exits is on Barge House Street and then he runs up a ramp to a little courtyard through the shopping centre and out onto the South Bank.
14. Selfridges on Oxford Street
This is the location of the iconic necklace gift wrap scene. Alan Rickman’s Harry attempts to buy a (let’s face it, gaudy) gold necklace for an employee of his that keeps making lewd advancements towards her married boss. Thankfully, Rowan Atkinson’s gift wrapping takes forever and it’s one of the most memorable and funniest scenes in the film.
Selfridges department store is one of the most historic and grand shops in the UK, let alone Oxford Street. They’re usually not keen on shutting down for film productions, but I’m sure hearing the words ‘the next Richard Curtis comedy’ would help put things in motion. Definitely, one of the top Love Actually filming locations.
Not important, but honestly what would possess you to buy a necklace for another woman while out shopping with your wife?!
15. Lisboa Delicatessen in North Kensington
Kooky Colin has hatched a plan to fly to the United States (and he chose Wisconsin of all places, lol) and try his luck with all the hot babes there. Bags packed, he rocks up at his friend Tony’s place to say goodbye. Tony lives in a flat above a Lisboa Delicatessen just north of Kensington which, amazingly, still exists! The street looks barely any different 17 years later.
16. Canary Wharf Tube Station
Attempting to learn Portuguese, Aurelia’s native tongue, we’re treated to a short montage of Jamie speaking the language in random places while listening to educational recordings. In one scene, he walks down a tube station escalator carrying bags of presents. The tube station in question is Canary Wharf.
17. City Hall in Southwark
In a surprising turn of events, Billy Mack’s crappy song earns the title of Christmas N.1 in the charts. He gets to celebrate with his manager and everyone else at his record label in their company office, which is actually London City Hall.
18. 27 St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill
We love to hate this infamous movie moment. The other most iconic scene in Love Actually takes place at 27 St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill. A bloody lovely, pink-painted house on an adorable London street. This is the bit near the end of the film where Mark declares his love for his best mate’s wife, Juliet, via cue cards with ‘Silent Night’ playing on a boom box. To me, this scene is not perfect.
19. Chelsea Bridge
When Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister decides to pursue a relationship with his catering executive Natalie (played by Martine McCutcheon), he hops in his car (with a police escort, no less) to her family home. They drive across the beautiful Chelsea Bridge on the way south of the River Thames to Wandsworth.
20. 102 Poplar Road in Brixton
Natalie tells the Prime Minister that she’s from “the dodgy end of Wandsworth” and lives on a road called Harris Street. Both aren’t true IRL, because the Love Actually filming location is in Brixton (though not too far from Wandsworth) and is on Poplar Road. We get to see a lot of this random road because the Prime Minister near enough knocks on every door to find her. Though it does seem to be the same number door, which is something!
21. Ark Putney Academy/Elliott School, in Pullman Gardens, London, SW15 3DG
And the final London entry on this list of Love Actually filming locations is the school where the Christmas concert takes place: Ark Putney Academy in Pullman Gardens. It was called Elliot School in 2003 but has since renamed.
It’s at this very school where Sam plays the drums for the first time to impress his beloved, there are lobsters and octopuses in the Nativity play and Emma Thompson’s Karen finally confronts her utterly pathetic excuse of a husband Alan Rickman’s Harry (the true villain of this film). We love to see it.
Love Actually Filming Locations in Surrey
22. Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher
The one Love Actually filming location that is outside London (or France, we’ll get to those locations next…) is really quite bizarre. While all of the other airport scenes take place in an actual airport, Milwaukee Airport where Colin arrives in the USA is actually Sandown Park Racecourse.
I guess they had to shoot the scene somewhere and the building next to the racecourse does kind of look like a small airport!
Love Actually Filming Locations in France
23. Le Petit Depanneur Cottage in Vidauban
I don’t quite know how I managed to find this Love Actually filming location, but I did! Jamie’s idyllic french cottage is in the South of France, one hour north of St Tropez in a little village called Vidauban. And it does have it’s own private lake! I’ve pinned its exact location on my Google map. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to visit because it is private property and was sold in 2010 for around €800,000.
24. Marseille Provence Airport
When Jamie decides he doesn’t want to spend Christmas with (who I assume are) his spoiled nieces and nephews and good-for-nothing brother and would rather declare his love for Aurelia instead, he hops on a plane to Marseille. He arrives in Marseille Provence Airport and it does look like the airport featured in Love Actually is the real deal. Not a random racecourse, this time.
25. Bar de la Marine in the Old Port in Marseille
Though Love Actually would have you believe Aurelia lives with her family in some backwards provincial town, she lives with her family and works at a restaurant, Bar de la Marine, in a thriving and multicultural city. This is the scene where Jamie, in his best Portuguese, asks Aurelia to marry him. In front of her entire family and dozens of French people. Personally, I’d rather die.
Just a note: Aurelia and her family are Portuguese (which is the language Colin is learning to speak) but they live in France. Sometimes that confuses people but luckily, you have me to clear things up.
And those are all of the top Love Actually filming locations in London, England and beyond! Have you watched Love Actually? Or have you visited any of the Love Actually movie locations? Maybe you’ve been on a Love Actually tour of London? Let me know in the comments below!
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