Horizon 22: London’s highest viewing platform just opened

Horizon 22, found in the impressive 22 Bishopsgate building, near Liverpool Street Station and Bank is also the highest free viewing platform in Europe.  

It opened on September 27 and promised sweeping vistas across the city, and boy, did it deliver.

The view from Horizon 22 is great, even on a grey day. (Image: Zita Whalley)

Straight up Bishopsgate from Liverpool Street Station, the entrance is easy to find and there are plenty of friendly staff on hand to steer you in the right direction if needs be.

Opened for just over a week, the viewing platform is fully booked for the next 30 days, with all available tickets – 28,371 of them – allocated.

In fact, 5,000 people had booked tickets within the first three minutes of bookings opening, and these people came from all over the world including Canada, the USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Singapore and from across Europe, in addition to Brits.

There's plenty of space to enjoy the view (Image: Zita Whalley)

Don’t let Horizon 22’s fully booked status dampen your spirits though, as when I was standing in line to have my QR code scanned, a mother and daughter were turned away because they hadn’t booked. However, the group between them and myself had two people missing from their party, and so the mum and daughter were able to go in with them – it’s worth chancing your luck.

It’s very much an international crowd visiting the platform – I shared a lift (which zips you up to the 58th floor in a matter of ear popping seconds) with a pair of German tourists, two women visiting from China, and a London resident who had brought her mother who was visiting from India, along for the view.

And once you’re up there, it’s easy to see why Horizon 22 is so popular.  At 833 feet or 254 metres up, on the 58th level of 22 Bishopsgate, it offers a view across London that is unmatched, even by The Shard, which has a paid-for viewing gallery at 244 metres above ground.

The viewing platform sprawls across one level with a mezzanine (Image: Zita Whalley)

The view is spectacular. Its the kind of sweeping view that makes you marvel at how such a chaotic, big city functions, and how much impressive beauty there is in our concrete jungle.

Major landmarks are visible, I basked in the glory of The Shard, The Gherkin, The Cheese Grater, The Walkie Talkie, the Thames, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and London Bridge, as well as admired roof top garden initiatives perched on top of skyscrapers.

There’s also plenty of space. Despite being booked out, there is enough room for groups and individuals to roam about as they soak up the views of the city that stream in through the floor to ceiling glass walls that make up three sides of the cavernous room.

And there's some seating for a coffee with a view (Image: Zita Whalley)

With so much space, there’s no jostling for rock star position in front of the glass either, and so people can drink in the bird's eye view of the capital at the leisure and TikTokers and photo posers can do their thing without getting in your way.

There’s even a little kiosk selling hot and cold drinks and snacks and a couple of chairs and tables should you really want to take your time.

Views of London stream in from three sides of the room (Image: Zita Whalley)

If you can get tickets the view from Horizon 22 is impressive, and I imagine, no matter how many times you go up there, you’ll always find something new to look at.

To book your free ticket, visit horizon22.co.uk