London descends into CHAOS before Christmas as huge crowds swamp Oxford Street making it ‘impossible to move’ – and shoppers are issued with pickpocket warning
With its wide range of shops and dazzling light displays, Oxford Street has long been a favorite destination for those looking to buy last-minute Christmas gifts.
But horrified shoppers claimed central London was plunged into new chaos this weekend, with crowds making it almost ‘impossible to move’.
Videos shared on social media show shoppers huddled shoulder to shoulder as they try to make their way down Oxford Street.
In other clips, problems have gotten so bad that pedestrians are pushed off pavements and forced to walk across the road.
Users on TikTok expressed disbelief at the number of people coming to the capital this festive season.
One person shared: ‘I thought you’d be busy but damn. ‘I couldn’t even register getting into Selfridges, that was something else.’
Another captioned the video of dozens of people trying to cross the street as ‘everywhere is full’.
Statistics show high street traffic in the West End increased by nine per cent on Black Friday this year compared to the same period in 2024.
Videos shared on social media show shoppers crowded shoulder to shoulder as they try to make their way down Oxford Street
Central London can be seen completely packed with Christmas shoppers in a TikTok video
Shoppers walk down London’s most famous shopping street, Oxford Street, on Monday
Moreover, this year’s chaotic scenes were not limited to Soho.
Footage from Winter Wonderland on Saturday showed a large crowd of people pushing each other inside a beer hall.
At one point a member of staff had to physically push back on the venue’s railings as she nearly tipped over.
Holiday tourist center Covent Garden was also declared ‘hell’ after two customers were seen holding hands in the crowd on Saturday.
Elsewhere, tourists and shoppers flocked to Leicester Square in claustrophobic scenes.
And this December, pickpockets were allowed to roam freely amid the chaotic crowds.
Some shoppers in the capital’s anti-theft hotspots have even resorted to putting locks on their bags to prevent their mobile phones and wallets from being stolen.
Young couple Teonie, 22, and Finlay, 19, set out from Nottingham to spend this weekend in London.
Speaking to the Mail amid a crowd on Sunday, Teonie revealed that a relative of her sister’s boyfriend was robbed by a scooter-riding thief in London.
‘I feel like I need to stay on top of my stuff,’ he said. ‘I keep my bag under my jacket and even that has a lock on it. You need to make serious effort to open it.
‘This is worrying because everyone is so dependent on their phone. If you lose that and become a tourist, you’re in big trouble.’
Her boyfriend Finlay was also wary of pickpocketing thieves and made sure his pockets were ‘zipped up’.
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Shoppers flock to Oxford Street ahead of Christmas Day
A large crowd was filmed filling the beer hall at Winter Wonderland on Saturday
The young couple, 22-year-old Teonie (right) and 19-year-old Finlay (left), had set out from Nottingham to spend the weekend in the capital.
A woman from Oxford, who wished to remain anonymous, added that she now prefers to bring a bag that she can only zip up when visiting London.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘This place is so crowded, it’s a nightmare. The best thing to do is not to leave things in your pocket.’
Kim Molina, 26, revealed she was particularly careful when on Oxford Street: ‘I heard from a lot of people [are] held from the side’.
‘And normally those are groups of people that (pickpockets) target,’ he said. ‘And they work together.
‘I’ve been here a lot and it definitely gets busier around Christmas time.’
This year’s influx of people has caused traffic congestion and overcrowding at subway stations, with huge queues forming at street level.
Tourist Victor Freddie, 65, described London as ‘very difficult to get around’ on Sunday.
The Belgian said: ‘London is an extremely crowded but beautiful city. Luckily I haven’t had any problems with pickpockets yet.’
Ricky Wilson, 76, added that London was busy ‘obviously because it was the last weekend before Christmas’.
‘It’s definitely difficult to get around, it’s quite crowded,’ he said.
A woman from Oxford, who wished to remain anonymous, added that she now prefers to bring a bag that she can only zip up when visiting London. Pictured: Oxford Street
Shoppers take to the streets of London to buy last-minute gifts on a busy Oxford Street on December 21
The phenomenon has become a talking point on social media, with dozens of videos showing crowds shoulder to shoulder in extremely intense conditions.
Another person told the Daily Mail that the London Underground turned into the ‘Hunger Games’ due to the crowds.
On Sunday morning, passengers had to queue for 15 minutes at packed King’s Cross station to reach the Underground platforms.
Photos published on X showed chaotic scenes of people wheeling their luggage through the packed station.
One user wrote: ‘I’ve never seen London this busy on a Sunday morning. There’s a 15-minute queue just to get over the tube barriers and get to the platforms at KX.’
Another woman who traveled from Manchester to London last weekend said: ‘It was a nightmare journey.
‘The train was full as all services before and after were cancelled, and took over three hours due to a rail disruption. By the time we got to Euston I was ready to get off.
‘But then it was so busy getting on the metro that they closed the entrance to prevent overcrowding. We waited in line for about 10 minutes just to get in and then there were major delays on the Northern line!
‘This was a massacre. ‘Everything was lined up because it was full of people coming for the Christmas celebrations.’
On Oxford Street people walked shoulder to shoulder on the cramped pavements spilling onto the road as cyclists on Lime and ‘Boris bikes’ pedaled around them.
Christmas shoppers on London’s Oxford Street on 20 December 2025. Experts predict £3.4bn will be spent on last-minute shopping
Ricky Wilson, 76, said London was busy ‘obviously with it being the last weekend before Christmas’.
People are seen entering and exiting Oxford Circus Tube station in London on Sunday (December 21)
One TikTok user, who uploaded footage of crowds near the Hippodrome Casino, said: ‘Someone will ask you if you want to visit London in December.
‘It’s very important that you say no.’
Meanwhile, the AA has warned that this year will be the busiest festive season getaway in history.
Journeys are expected to fall slightly to 22.7 million on Christmas Eve, and 18.3 million cars are expected to be on the road on Christmas Day.
Satnav company TomTom’s analysis of last year’s data found that Edinburgh is the UK’s most congested city, with journeys taking on average 50 per cent longer than in free-flowing traffic.
London was the second most crowded city in the early evening, with the 10-kilometre journey taking more than 40 minutes.
Manchester came in third place, followed by Birmingham and Sheffield. TomTom’s Andy Marchant said: ‘Motorists should expect peak periods to be between midday and early evening.
‘Our advice is to plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey and follow real-time traffic updates to avoid the worst of festive congestion.’
The RAC estimated that a total of 37.5 million leisure car journeys were planned between 17 December and Christmas Eve.
This is the highest figure seen in the week before Christmas Day since the firm started recording data in 2013.
Christmas Eve is expected to be the busiest day for holiday travel, with 4.2 million trips during the holiday period.
UK airports are also expecting the busiest Christmas getaways in history. Travel trade organization ABTA estimates that more than five million people from the UK will travel abroad between now and January 4.
Heathrow said it was expecting its busiest December and Christmas Day in history. Thomas Woldbye, the airport’s chief executive, said: ‘We are fully prepared to deliver an extraordinary Christmas experience, enabling passengers to enjoy the festive atmosphere in our terminals.
‘Millions of passengers have enjoyed an outstanding level of service at the airport this year and those traveling from Heathrow this December can look forward to the best possible start to their journey this holiday season.’
