Visit Greenwich has announced that the Royal Borough of Greenwich has undergone a Wicked makeover, transforming into ‘GreenWitch’ to celebrate the release of Universal Pictures’ film based on the musical about the witches of Oz.
The two-week event kicked off on 12 November by Mayor Jit Ranabhat, who unveiled a plaque to mark the borough’s temporary name change. Until 24 November, residents and visitors can pick up a free map at the GreenWitch Tourist Information Centre or download one from VisitGreenWitch to follow a spellbinding walking trail, complete with magical road signs and themed installations at local spots, from GreenWitch Market to the top of King William Walk.
Councillor Jit Ranabhat, Mayor of Royal Greenwich said, “Move over Emerald City, welcome to the Royal Borough of GreenWitch! We’re thrilled to partner with Universal Pictures on this exciting, free experience for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“As the home of Wicked for the next two weeks, ‘GreenWitch’ will be even more ‘popular’ than ever and we can’t wait to welcome new visitors to our corner of the capital, boosting local businesses and supporting our ambitious Culture Strategy vision to be a place where creativity flourishes.
“And to top it all off, income generated by this magical partnership will fund our hugely popular free, festive light trail, Sparkle in the Park for 2024.”
Partnerships with the University of Greenwich, Greenwich Students’ Union, Visit Greenwich, and local businesses have made this Wicked transformation possible, boosting the borough’s creative energy and supporting its cultural growth.
Barrie Kelly, Chief Executive, Visit Greenwich said, “Greenwich is internationally known for being located on the Prime Meridian, 0° Longitude. It is where east meets west and the Wicked movie has a similar theme. GreenWitch is a fun play with our Greenwich name, and we’re thrilled to be working with Universal Pictures to be part of the publicity for Wicked. As one of the UK’s most popular film locations, Greenwich welcomes millions of visitors every year who are ‘setjetting’ to visit their favourite places seen in films, TV and related events.”
Professor Jane Harrington, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of Greenwich said, “I am delighted to announce that the university is rebranding to the University of GreenWitch for the next two weeks to celebrate all things Wicked and the magic of higher education.”
Click here to discover more about Visit Greenwich.
