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For 99 percent of us, getting on the tube wearing only your pants is the stuff of nightmares. But for a very small, very dedicated group, it’s a much-anticipated annual tradition.
If you’re not already aware, the no-trousers tube ride is a very real, slightly peculiar thing. As you might expect from the name, every year hundreds of Londoners get their thighs out and head onto the tube, and just sort of ride it for a few minutes before getting off and putting their clothes back on.
You might wonder if this is for charity, or to raise awareness for an important cause, but nope! This pantless cohort are doing it solely for love of the game. The Facebook group calls upon ‘fun lovers, exhibitionists, bucket list tickers and inquisitive introverts’ to take part, so if that sounds like you, here’s everything you need to know.
When is the no-trousers tube ride?
The 2026 event will take place next Saturday, January 11 2026. People will begin to gather at Chinatown in the afternoon, before being split into groups and taken to a nearby tube stop.
How does the event work?
Those who want to take part will meet up in Chinatown (with trousers firmly on) from 2.45pm, with a view to heading on down to the Underground at roughly 3pm. There, the bottoms come off, the legs come out, and fun ensues.
We should be clear – if you want to take part you do have to wear underwear. No one wants to see that much of whatever you’ve got going on while riding on the Northern line. The organisers also request that you ‘keep the (under)pants as normal or low-key as possible’ so that it really looks as if you just missed a step in getting ready before you came out.
It’s free to participate, although, as always, you will need to pay your tube fare.
What’s the point of it all?
As we say, there isn’t really a reason for doing all of this. It isn’t about sending a message to TfL, or even freaking out the tourists, it’s just a bit of fun.
If there is any goal, it’s probably to give the other passengers a bit of a laugh when two dozen trouser-less people casually stroll onto the train before getting off a few stops later, without a word. In short, those who get it get it, and those who don’t will be mildly confused by it all.
This may all seem a bit odd, but what’s even wilder is that this isn’t even the weirdest – or most nude – yearly event to take place in the capital. The World Naked Bike Ride will no-doubt return this summer, but you can read about last year’s instalment here.
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