Liverpool title parade 2025: Celebrations overshadowed by serious car collision

On Sunday, 27 April, Liverpool were officially crowned as the champions of England for a record-equalling 20th time.

The Reds' emphatic 5-1 victory over Tottenham sparked joyous scenes at Anfield and across the city of Liverpool as Arne Slot and his players celebrated their triumph with the club's supporters.

For many, the celebrations were 35 years in the making, as this was the last time Liverpool fans were able to properly celebrate a league title. When they won it in 2020, celebrations were largely absent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The party started on Sunday, 27 April, and they have continued ever since, which makes Liverpool's winless streak since that match against Spurs not surprising in the slightest.

The celebrations were meant to culminate on Monday, 26 May in Liverpool City Centre and while the actual parade went as well as it could have gone, a shocking incident while large crowds were still prevalent on the parade route has overshadowed what was meant to be a joyous day.

Liverpool title celebrations: Police arrest 53-year-old man after vehicle is driven into crowds in Liverpool

On Monday, 26 May, Liverpool's title celebrations descended into chaos when a 53-year-old white British man drove a vehicle into large crowds of people on Walter Street in the heart of the city.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show the car accelerating into the crowd and then continuing into another group shortly after. The police are yet to confirm the extent of the incident, but around 30 people are believed to be being treated for injuries, some of them critical.

The driver of the vehicle has also been arrested at the scene.

The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, released the following statement in light of the incident:

“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident. I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”

Liverpool title celebrations: How they panned out from April to May

Liverpool crowned champions

The first day of celebrations started after the win over Tottenham, and they weren't muted. Despite the trophy lift happening at a later date (more on that shortly), Liverpool players and staff stayed on the pitch at Anfield for some time after the final whistle to celebrate with the fans.

Arne Slot gave the Kop the Jurgen Klopp fist-bump routine for the first time, and the Dutchman delivered a speech to the entire Anfield crowd, paying special tribute to his predecessor.

The players danced and chanted on the pitch, making their way across all four stands of Anfield amid a backdrop of noise, fireworks and flares. Trent Alexander-Arnold was in the thick of it, sparking speculation that he may stay at the club after all.

Liverpool fans didn't entertain any thought of a pitch invasion, which allowed everything to run smoothly.

Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy

As per tradition in English football, Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy after their final home match of the season on Sunday, 25 May.

Many Liverpool fans had dreamed about witnessing this moment for several decades. Virgil van Dijk lifted the title in front of a packed Anfield crowd before passing the famous trophy around to his teammates, allowing them to lift it themselves.

The good feeling inside Anfield on the day even saw Trent-Alexander Arnold receive a warm reception when it was his turn to lift the trophy. The defender had sparked controversy shortly after Liverpool were confirmed as champions by announcing that he was leaving the club to join Real Madrid.

Liverpool Premier League title parade

On Monday, 26 May, Liverpool's open-top bus parade around the city took place. The bus left Allerton Maze at 14:30 before travelling along a nine-mile route around Liverpool, finishing on Blundell Street.

Reportedly, there were as many as one million Liverpool fans on the streets of Liverpool for the parade on bank holiday Monday.

Liverpool parade route

The Liverpool parade took the following route:

• Allerton Maze
• Queens Drive
• Mill Bank
• West Derby Road
• Islington
• Leeds Street
• The Strand
• Blundell Street.

The club have released a route map (as seen below) prior to the event to make it clearer where the bus was going to end. A digital version of the map is also available for fans to download.

Road closures

The most significant road closures around Liverpool for the parade included:

• The Stand northbound from the Upper Parliament Street and Great George Street junction to the Leeds Street and Great Howard Street junction – 04:00 – 22:00 (or until it was safe to re-open).
• The Strand southbound – 12:00 – 20:00 (or until it was safe to re-open)
• Leeds Street (City bond) – 12:00 – 20:00 (or until it was safe to re-open)

Due to these road closures, it makes it even more perplexing that a large car was able to break through police lines and into a position where it could be driven into crowds of people.