No Trousers Tube Ride 2023: Londoners strip off as annual event returns

Londoners stripped off on Sunday for the return of the No Trousers Tube Ride.

The usually annual event hasen’t been held since 2020 due to the pandemic but on Sunday, the Londoners returned to mark its 10th anniversary in the capital.

Hordes of Londoners descended on Chinatown to begin the journey which was organised by The Stiff Upper Lip Society on Sunday afternoon, which also marked the inaugural trouser-less ride on the Elizabeth Line.

In pictures, some Londoners took a smart approach to the event wearing blazers and ties with smart shoes as they travelled on the Tube.

Others took a more casual approach by wearing some of the tightest and fluorescent pants seen on the Underground.

The No Trousers Tube Ride began in 2009, and was inspired by the No Pants Subway Ride, which was created by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002.

The first-ever event in New York City involved seven trouser-less men boarding the subway train, one at each stop for seven consecutive stops, pretending not to notice each other.

In 2006, the train was stopped and eight people were handcuffed and taken into custody for not wearing trousers, but the charges were later dismissed.

By 2007, hundreds of people took part, before the event went international in 2008, with nine cities participating.

Since 2010, thousands of New Yorkers have taken part in the annual prank.

More than 60 cities around the world now take part, including Berlin, Lisbon, Tokyo, and Toronto.