Independent review published into city’s parade planning

An independent review into the event planning for the Liverpool FC (LFC) Victory Parade held on 26 May 2025 has been published today. 

The review highlights the partnership working among Liverpool City Council, Merseyside Police, medical teams, security providers, and emergency services, and finds that, despite unprecedented crowd numbers and some challenges, these long-standing relationships were key to delivering a well-planned, professional event that prioritised public safety and demonstrated effective collaboration under pressure.

The event attracted an estimated 1.2 million attendees, including many who travelled to Liverpool from across the UK and abroad. The sheer scale of the crowd highlighted the significance of the occasion and the city’s ability to successfully host major international events. 

Led by Eric Stuart, a highly regarded UK crowd-safety expert with over 40 years of experience in policing, global event safety evaluations and major inquiries, the review examined the Parade’s planning and execution to guide future large-scale events in the city.

The report clarifies that the Water Street vehicle incident, which occurred after the parade had concluded, falls entirely outside the scope of the review, as it was the subject of a separate police investigation and criminal court proceedings. The perpetrator, Paul Doyle, acted alone and with criminal intent, having evaded traffic management arrangements and following an ambulance responding to a medical emergency. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 and was sentenced to 21-and-a-half years in prison. 

Mr Stuart offers constructive recommendations to inform event management for future events in Liverpool and elsewhere.  He highlights a gap in national legislation that must be addressed to enable local authorities to respond to high-risk situations involving large crowds.  Councils currently lack sufficient powers to remove dangerous scaffolding or to prevent the use of flares and smoke devices. Council Leader Cllr Liam Robinson is writing to the Home Secretary to recommend that the Government consider these issues. 

In relation to whether a parade should be held in future, Mr Stuart comments: “You could, you should, and I have no doubt you will do it again.”

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “I would like to reaffirm our support and solidarity with all those affected by the events on 26 May 2025. 

“We greatly appreciate Eric Stuart’s thorough and independent review of our event planning processes. Mr Stuart’s acknowledgement of the professionalism, dedication, and resilience of our council staff and partner teams, who worked tirelessly to ensure public safety in challenging circumstances, is extremely reassuring.

“It is the strength of these partnerships and decades of collective experience that have established Liverpool as one of the UK’s leading cities for delivering major international events. We are immensely proud of everyone involved in planning and delivering the event.

“Mr Stuart recommends that, as opportunities arise in future for either of our clubs, the city should once again celebrate sporting success. We support that conclusion and his recommendations. We look forward to hosting another victory parade in the future.”

The report can be read here: https://cultureliverpool.co.uk/liverpool-parade-2025-independent-review/.

We recognise that the incident on Water Street on 26 May 2025, continues to have a lasting emotional, psychological and physical impact on many individuals, including families, children, and witnesses who experienced this first hand. If you have been affected by what has happened, please visit https://kindtoyourmindliverpool.co.uk/ where there are a range of advice and support tools.