October 10th 2020

…but PLEASE plan your zombie day according to government guidelines.

The organisers had already decided to discontinue the large London event and therefore were not planning on to carry out this event as it had been in prior years. Individuals can still put on their own smaller fundraising online and are encouraged to do so. Please visit our FAQ page if you wish for your event to be shared on our website or social media.

Because this is WORLD ZOMBIE DAY we are encouraging participants to join in on this day from all around the world to enact change for all of us.

We are all connected and we all need each other.

Our chosen charity, Médecins Sans Frontières UK/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an independent emergency medical aid organisation. MSF provides relief to the victims of war, natural disasters and epidemics irrespective of gender, race, creed, religion, or political convictions in more than 70 countries across the globe.

Their teams are responding to the coronavirus emergency on multiple fronts—caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. MSF is working with local authorities in many of the countries where they have medical projects to help prepare for the impact of COVID-19.

A key priority is to keep their regular medical programs running for the tens of thousands of patients and extremely vulnerable communities they help support. This pandemic threatens the lives of people around the world, and presents even greater risks in countries with weak or fragile health systems.

We hear you. We are also sad about it. Normally the undead can get away with saying very little (primarily “Brraaaiiiinnss!”) but maybe it’s time for a little real talk.

We’ve had as much fun organising this every year as you’ve had attending it. We’ve had support from some amazing people and venues, we’ve had parties, new friendships, engagements, and everyone involved has at least a couple of stories they could tell – whether marshalling, organising, or just shambling along with the rest of us.

But it’s getting harder each time. The cold hard truth is that World Zombie Day isn’t as popular as it once was. There are many reasons for this (people want different things from their increasingly precious few days out, zombies in culture aren’t what they once were, London is more expensive each year) but ultimately none of this is anything we can control. We have noticed the smaller crowd each year and although this is sad, it is also natural.

With less people attending, there are also less volunteers to help, and we raise less money for charity each year. Megan (our fearless leader) has been shouldering more and more of the responsibility. She’s really good at it, but she wants to free herself for other projects before World Zombie Day starts feeling like a chore. The rest of us (the remaining volunteers) won’t have time or energy to take over from her, let alone do World Zombie Day justice like she has over the years.

“I came to London in 2011, not knowing anyone, and with a love for horror movies, dressing up, and event planning. Joining the organising team for World Zombie Day therefore seemed like a no-brainer. Little did I know that the people I would meet through this event would become some of my dearest friends.

Saying “goodbye” is an extremely hard thing to do. I don’t know what I will do without World Zombie Day in my life, and that is really scary… but it’s time for me to look fear in the eye and smile. After this World Zombie Day, I will convert the website into a portal of information for anyone, in any city, who may wish to run their own event. And you never know, after a break, we may come back…. zombies have a funny way of resurrecting.” –Megan Aileen Williams

Let’s have one last huge party before they announce the time of death. Let’s not decompose in the gutter sadly, but instead, march into the sunset with a satisfied groan. Let’s remember World Zombie Day for what it was meant to be: Fun!

You don’t need us for getting together with handfuls of friends, dressing as zombies, and bemusing the populace of London. We are stopping, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Shuffle on, you glorious zombies.

~Death is not the end.

We’ve been through a lot over the years and done a lot of good for charity. We’ve made a lot of memories, mostly terrifying but some of genuine affection. Even as we’ve torn bodies apart, we have brought people together. The footprints we leave behind are dragging and lopsided, but maybe they’ll lead another horde to the same place one day.

So with the last World Zombie Day approaching on October 5th (register here) let’s take a shamble down memory lane and look back on over a decade of World Zombie Day photos. Alex Lane has been an invaluable team member of WZD and has documented the day with his fantastic photos since 2010.

Here are some of our favourites from his collection!

We hope to see you all back this year for one big last hurrah!

Our charity of choice for 2019 is City Harvest London, giving food another life.

City Harvest London helps put surplus food to good use in a sustainable way.

Your contribution will help them get more surplus food to those who need it most.

Be part of the team making London first to be a zero-waste city.

• £50: delivers 200 nutritious meals
• £100: feeds a family of 4 for a month
• £250: provides breakfast to 1,000 disadvantaged children

To donate to City Harvest London or to help fundraise yourself visit worldzombieday.co.uk/donate.

In fact people are constantly surprised (including quite a few people who have already registered and should know better, tut tut) that this year we’re supporting Shelter from the Storm.

Shelter from the Storm is a free homeless shelter in London, and it is completely independent from the Government. This means they can take anyone from anywhere.

Founded in 2007 by Sheila Scott and Louie Salvoni to provide shelter and support for the homeless and dispossessed from anywhere, Shelter from the Storm picks up the pieces from the human fallout and helps to manifest real positive changes for those that cross their path. Sheila was recently awarded a statue by the ‘Put Her Forward’ project for her amazing work starting Shelter from the Storm.

On their website you can read stories from some of the people they have helped over the years, and people they are still helping:

• A 20-year-old who used to be a carer before he lost his way
• A 61-year-old woman excited to have her own garden in her own ‘home for life’
• A cancer survivor and father of two daughters who now counsels others with cancer
• A trans woman dreaming of transitioning
• And many more…

Shelter from the Storm provides them all with some decent sleep, some decent food, and some peace. They are no longer hunted, no longer sleeping in libraries or buses… they are building new lives.

After reading through these interviews and stories, it turns out that zombies can cry. A little known scientific fact.

As well as the optional donation when you register to attend you can also make a page on JustGiving, and use it to join our fundraising team. Send it around to friends and family, and if you’re reluctant to bother your loved ones with charity then remember the stories from Shelter from the Storm’s website. It only exists because of the donations they receive.

Or you can quickly donate now on our fundraising page:

Are you raring to go for this year’s World Zombie Day, but haven’t found the perfect outfit yet? Go to joke.co.uk for 10% off all zombie purchases; from costumes and accessories, to special effects and makeup, and Joke will donate 10% of your order to Shelter from the Storm. Just use code ZOMBIE10 before the 7^th of October to receive your discount.

Looking for inspiration?

We’ve put together some of our favourite undead costume ideas to get you in the zombie spirit.

The Complete Zombie Halloween Costume (1) is a truly gruesome choice for embracing the haunting spirit of the day. It comes with everything you’ll need to creep out people on the streets of London, including the mask, shirt, trousers and gloves. The netted eyes of the mask mean that you can see out, but no one can see in, making it even more gorily spine-chilling. It also comes in a Plus Size version, and as the Kid’s Horror Zombie Costume (2) so little horrors can join in too.

Want to choose a slightly different take on the zombie character? Then the Bloody Clown Costume (3) is the one for you, letting you frighten people who aren’t just scared of the living dead, but also those pesky clowns. Talk about multitasking. Even better, it comes at the scarily low price of £7.99.

Remember to use the discount code  ZOMBIE10 at checkout

Make sure every member of the family can be truly disgusting and enjoy the zombie festivities, with kid’s zombie fancy dress. The Kid’s Punk Zombie (4) and Kid’s Zombie Schoolgirl (5) are the perfect creepy children’s choices.

Join the undead congregation in the Zombie Nun Costume (6). Potentially offensive, and remarkably comfortable, the costume comes complete with wimple (head piece – we had to Google it too), bloody dress with attached wound (convenient) with a soft, stabbing cross, and a rope belt.

For a beautifully feminine look, there’s the Biohazard Zombie Nurse (7). You’ll definitely turn heads in this get up. To complete the look combine it with some Bright Green Snazaroo Face Paint, and some Snazaroo Gel Blood Accessory to make it truly grisly.

Complete your look with some special FX make up from Tinsley Transfers. These high quality special effects are the most realistic on the market, having been designed by Hollywood makeup artists.

Combine a selection of transfers, like the Zombie Jawbone (8), Zombie Nose (9) and Zombie Torn Throat (10), with some Snazaroo Face Paint and Snazaroo Gel Blood , and you’ll steal the show – when it comes to looking hideous and undead that is. You’ll be the best looking zombie in the whole of London town.

Still need more Halloween Zombie ideas? Visit the joke.co.uk Zombie Page, to find the most horrifying zombie costumes around: here

We are excited to reveal our charity of choice for 2018 is Shelter from the Storm, London’s only free homeless shelter. Located in North London, they provide shelter and support for the homeless and dispossessed. Through our research and communications with them, we are confident that the work they do, and any money we raise for them, will make a real difference and positive impact on the lives of homeless people.

At Shelter from the Storm, they do not waste time and energy worrying about whose responsibility someone is or who’s going to pick up the tab … they will. Because they raise all their own money, without a penny from the Government, they can and do receive guests from anywhere; from the Probation Service to the Red Cross, from Guildford to Ghana, regardless of their access to funding. They have guests who are fleeing torture, forced marriage, honour crime, trafficking for work or sex and plenty who have just fallen through the cracks of our society. Whether it’s an ex squaddie with post traumatic stress compounded by alcoholism, a domestic worker kept in slavery, or a young person thrown out by their family for being gay – their volunteers care for each guest as an individual.

Shelter from the Storm relies entirely on generous donations to survive. Everything you give is used purely to keep offering our services to those who need them.

For less than £20 per guest per day, we provide a warm bed, breakfast, a hot evening meal and a range of services including – laundry, showers, counselling, legal clinic and English lessons.

I hope you share our enthusiasm and will join us in raising money for Shelter from the Storm on October 6th.
To donate, text BRNZ57 £3 to 70070 or

We can finally reveal the results of the second-best day of the year! This one was remarkable in so many ways: old faces and new, so many Ricks, some zom-babies and zom-kids and zom-doggos, we finally conquered Camden, we didn’t encounter anyone the Met Police warned us about, AND two of our long-time zombies got ENGAGED!

Congratulations to Daniella P. and Gavin T.! It makes the whole ‘til death do us part’ thing a little complicated but love will find a way. The entire WZD team has agreed that for fairly humble engagement present, we’ll be giving you our sponsor prize from Bunker 51: 2 tickets to zombie SWAT training in London.

Also congratulations to our competition winners Theresa W. who won a copy of the video game Bloody Zombies, and congratulations to Ally W. who won four tickets to Trapped in a Room with a Zombie! You haven’t won a life-partner but you get to be trapped with a ravenous monster slowly growing closer as you desperately figure out how to escape. We’ll be in touch via email to let you know how to redeem your prizes.

With roughly 700 to 800 zombies, photographers, and a kind donation from Angel’s costume hire, we raised £906.00 for St Mungo’s to help the homeless. This will help around 180 people by providing beds, counselling, and important healthcare. You can continue to donate on our Justgiving page.

You can also still donate even now by texting ‘BRNZ66 £5’ (or whatever you can afford) to 70070.

Before we pull the grave dirt over ourselves like a snug blanket of soil and worms, we can promise you this: we have some very ambitious schemes to make next year even more fun, and freshen up your grimey corpses. Find out more when the sky rains more mysterious chemicals, the rituals recommence, the cursed comet returns to the sky, and the infected once again rampage through London. Sleep well, you undead darlings. Sleep well…

A prepared zombie is a happy zombie, so we’ve prepared a checklist for prepared and happy zombies.

1. REGISTER

There’s no sense checking off the other things on list until you’ve done this one. You’ll get the map and other information. It’s FREE!
Why not raise some money for St Mungo’s while you lurch?
If you’re a photographer, make sure to let us know!  Photographer registration is closed.

2. BRING THE MAP

Print the map and take it with you – your phone battery may end up as dead as us, and you may not always be able to find a steward. We’ll also be on Twitter at @WZDLondon where you can find updates on our progress.

3. GET SOME PARTY TICKETS

We have an exclusive area in the Clinic Room of the Piccadilly Institute, where we will be studying the effects of parties on the undead. Will it be enough to wake us dead?

A zombie only bar and our special guest DJ Ben Christo from The Sisters of Mercy/Decadence Club will help get the bones rattling along with Happy Hour prices till 9pm (50% off everything excluding bottles of spirit or champagne).

If you’ve bought a ticket, your name will be on the door.  You’ve got till 5pm Friday to get on that list. After that it’s cash only at the door(£5). This year, due to our safety precautions, we are recommending that you join us there right after the last stop.

Doors open to the undead at 6pm. No late entry after 8pm and make sure you bring a photo ID (no photocopies). The club opens to the public at 9pm and the living will begin to infiltrate the space, but the club is open until 3am – that’s a lot of time to fit in a couple of Thriller dances!

4. READ THE RULES

We don’t have many but they’re all very important. Make sure you read them, and make sure you stick to them. Don’t bring anything that looks like a weapon, don’t flyer, don’t harass people, and if you see anything that concerns you then speak to a steward.

We’ve all worked really hard to make sure this is fun for everyone, and we have a great reputation amongst both the living and the dead. Please help us keep it that way, and we’ll be able to do it again next year!

5. GET READY FOR WEATHER

Rain has a terrible effect on undead flesh – we get soggier and bits fall off. For the sake of having a fun day we all hope for sun and warmth, but honestly who among us doesn’t hope for a little bit of thunder and lightning for the sake of drama? Make sure your costume is warm enough – the zombie virus is bad enough without a snuffle.

Think about your shoes. Lurch and shuffle by choice like an awesome zombie, don’t lurch and shuffle because your feet are in pain!

6. PACK A LUNCH:

We have some brand new stops that we think you will love, but you may want to be more of a prepper this year where it comes to provisions. If you do forget to bring your brain juice and finger foods, there are shops and off-licenses along the way, so you can stock up. Life may not always be a picnic, but the afterlife certainly will be.

7. USE THE SOCIAL INTERWEBS

Use the hashtag #WZD2017 to connect with the horde’s hive mind. Follow us on Twitter @WZDLondon to hear from the undead queen, and join us on Facebook because it’s fun!

If you feel like an Insta, tag the photo with #WZD2017 and you might end up in the World Zombie Day gallery! We also have a Facebook Frame with the Text code on it. So help spread the word and take a photo or video with this effect by us World Zombie Day: London.

8. REMEMBER HOW WE CAN HELP

Have you donated to St Mungo’s? The charity does amazing work helping the homeless. If you’re coming along please donate by texting:

BRNZ66 £3
to 70070

It doesn’t have to be £3, it can be as much as you like! You can also donate via our JustGiving page.

SEE YOU IN THE STREETS, YOU HORRIFYING FIENDS!

The Metropolitan Police have informed us that on World Zombie Day (October 7^th) there will be a group called “Football Lads Alliance” holding a controversial march in London. There are an estimated 20,000 people expected to be marching between 13:00 and 18:00 from Park Lane to Westminster.

The Metropolitan Police have been in touch with every group and venue operating in London on October 7th. We have thus decided to provide this warning for all our zombies.

Don’t panic! As with every other difficulty provided by this tumultuous yet unwavering city, we will carry on. Nothing can stop zombies (except for walls, fire, deep holes, and destroying our brains, obviously).

While the FLA has repeatedly insisted it is a ‘non-racist, non-violent’ organisation, anti-fascist and equality groups like Stand Up To Racism have questioned the backgrounds of those involved – and their true motives.

To provide transparency and help inform you of the actual risk, our contact with the Met Police have advised us:

During the June march organised by the FLA, there were a number of altercations involving members of this procession after the march had ended. A large number of these altercations were within the West End of London. The Met Police are concerned that the level of violence may be repeated this year, however many precautions are being put in place.

The Met Police are taking extra measures based on current tensions and concerns based on intelligence from previous marches held by similar groups and are committed to their duty to ensure that the community in central London can go about their daily business not unduly impacted by demonstrations taking place.

We have been lurching these streets yearly, for an entire decade. We have built a relationship with the police and the city. This relationship and reputation will provide us with security. This is because we’re collected, we’re cooperative, we’re polite, we’re fun, and we’re the best damnable zombies you could ever hope to encounter. Every year we advise participants not to bring weapons: no fake weapons, no fantasy weapons, and DEFINITELY no real weapons. We do this because, if there is an incident, we don’t want you to be perceived as a threat during the confusion. Please pay special attention to the no weapons policy this year.

Additionally, we have adjusted our TOP SECRET route so that we march through an entirely different part of London. We are very excited about bringing you this new route, and can’t wait for you to see the exciting destinations that await you. If you’ve registered, you will be sent route map a few days before.

As you join World Zombie Day, please look out for our stewards who will provide you with wristbands. With a wristband, the Met Police know you are one of our horde. The wristband will also be printed with our contact details.

It is highly unlikely that you will need these contact details, and please don’t use them for fun even though it will be hilarious. These details are included in case our worst nightmares are made reality. This is your way to raise a Code Red, and a Code Red is going to be taken very seriously.

Belonging to the horde during the day will keep us all safe. If you are planning on attending the After Party, rest assured that The Piccadilly Institute has measures in place for this. Additional security and police will be patrolling too. We recommend that you join us there (£5 on the door or online ticket required) if you intend to stay in the area after the last stop. If you go elsewhere, you might want to avoid the West End.

As you leave the after-party and disperse into the city, you may encounter folks who (for some reason) fear zombies and the creeping mortality you represent. If you feel threatened or unsure, remove yourself from the situation and seek safety elsewhere. You might want to remove your makeup and prosthetics to prevent harassment. We cannot be sure where the thousands of “Football Lads Alliance” might end up, and some might be friendly, but we don’t want the unfriendly ones to end up with you.

The kind warning from the Met Police has understandably made everyone more alert. You can understand why it was important for us to share this information with you.

But the dead do not fear the living.

The living fear the dead.

You will not be alone.

Join us.