July 17, 1968, the world première of The Beatles' animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, took place at the London Pavilion on Piccadilly Circus. Just like all their previous film openings, large crowds turned out, blocking streets and bringing traffic to a standstill.

After the première The Beatles went to a celebratory party at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, where the in-house discothèque was renamed Yellow Submarine for the occasion. It retained the name for several years after.