Hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans painted north London red on Sunday, flooding the streets for a celebration 22 years in the making. The Gunners' first Premier League title since 2004—the legendary Invincibles season when they didn't lose a single league game—sent waves of euphoria through Islington as the team travelled a five-mile loop through the neighbourhood on open-top buses, the coveted trophy gleaming in the daylight.
For many supporters, this parade wasn't just a victory lap. It was vindication after two decades of near-misses and heartbreak. One fan who was only nine years old when Arsenal last won the league told the BBC it was "one of the best days of my life." Another, who had waited 22 years for this moment, said he simply "had to be here." Theresa, born in streets just away from Emirates Stadium and a supporter since birth, reflected on the long drought: "It has been a long time since Arsenal has had anything to scream and roar about." Yet here they were, finally screaming and roaring again.
The parade itself was a burst of colour and noise. Players waved to the crowds from the buses while fans reached their arms out, their flags dancing in the air. The women's team, who lifted the first-ever FIFA Women's Champions Cup earlier in the season, joined the celebration—a reminder that success at the club had spread across the entire organization. Fireworks punctuated the afternoon, vuvuzelas created a deafening roar, and flares filled the air with red smoke that seemed to turn the whole street crimson. Players occasionally threw Arsenal scarves toward the jubilant crowds.
For supporters like Michael, who has been a fan since Thierry Henry's era, the win felt almost unreal. "It's a dream come true," he told the BBC. "It's only up from here. I'm over the moon." His partner Teju, who supports the team by association, was equally elated, admiring the style of players like Bukayo Saka. Joe, who brought his young son Trey to the parade, summed up the recent trajectory: "We've been knocking on the door for the last four seasons and we've finally done it. I'm so excited." Trey added perspective on the club's resurgence, noting that since 2022 they'd been consistently finishing in the Champions League spots—a far cry from the struggles of the late 2010s.
The scale of the celebration reflected the weight of the moment. The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 500 officers, supported by specialist search and drone teams, making it one of the largest policing operations of the year. A dispersal zone helped deter anti-social behaviour, and the crowds remained largely peaceful despite the sheer volume of people flooding the streets.
Yet the day wasn't without incident. The fire service issued warnings after a stray flare caused a small fire at a hotel, with about 75 people rescued from incidents at height. Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne urged supporters to avoid using pyrotechnics, particularly near stations and buildings. But even these cautionary notes couldn't dampen the spirit of the day—a reminder that sometimes the longest waits make the sweetest victories, and north London's streets had never looked quite so red or felt quite so alive.