London’s annual no-trousers tube ride returns this weekend

It’s January, and while for many Londoners the first month of the year means no drinking, eating healthily and an overly ambitious new exercise regime, for others, it marks the return of a slightly weird annual event – the No Trousers tube ride.

Following last year’s well-attended event – which we at Time Out documented in photos here – the trousers-free tube ride is back in 2025, with hundreds of people expected to take part.

If this is your sort of thing, here’s all the information on how to take part. Let’s hope it’s not a cold day!

When is the no-trousers tube ride?

The pants-free fiesta will take place on Sunday January 12. Participants will be meeting at the Old Pagoda in Chinatown from 2.45pm for a 3pm start. Organisers ask you to still be fully clothed at this point, please, and bring a bag to store your trews in for when the time comes to strip down to your skivvies. 

How does the event work?

It’s free to attend (apart from the tube fare) so just show up at the right time and place. Organisers will split participants into groups and you’ll head to the nearest tube station. Once inside the station, the trousers come off and the fun begins.

What’s the point of it all?

Ultimately, the no-trousers tube ride is just a bit of cheeky fun. It’s not attached to any charities or making any kind of political statement – the tradition started in New York in 2002 and persists to this day. The whole point is to remain as nonchalant as possible, despite your trouser-free state.