The world-famous London Piccadilly lights are being switched off for 9 months

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Toby Melville/Reuters

The Piccadilly lights are being switched off.

The world-famous London Piccadilly Lights were switched off on Monday morning and will remain off for nine months.

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The current screens are being replaced with a 17.65 meter by 44.62 meter single screen, with six advertisers sharing the space.

Coca-Cola and Samsung have renewed their contracts with the owner of the site, Land Securities. The other four advertisers have yet to be announced.

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The last time the lights were switched off was during Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. They were also turned off during Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965 and the duration of the Second World War.

An estimated 100 million people pass through Piccadilly Circus each year.

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