Hippodrome Casino at Heart of West End’s Record-Breaking Footfall Rise

_{London’s West End saw its highest festive footfall since 2020, driven by entertainment, hospitality, and nightlife attractions like The Hippodrome Casino. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

Footfall in London’s West End reached its highest level since 2020 over the 2025 festive period, with new data showing a 19% year-on-year rise in visitor numbers across the Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA) area.

HOLBA said the increase reflects a wider shift toward the "experience economy," as visitors spent longer in the district to enjoy culture, dining, live entertainment, and attractions like casinos. The average dwell time in December 2025 rose by 42 minutes, reaching two hours and 38 minutes.

Simon Thomas, CEO of The Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, welcomed the findings and noted the area's growing vibrancy.

“Great to see new figures from the Heart of London Business Alliance showing festive footfall in the West End at its highest level since 2020. Visits are up 19 percent with people staying longer to enjoy everything the area has to offer,” Thomas said. 

He added that Leicester Square and its surroundings succeed because they offer more than retail.

“They offer experience: entertainment, hospitality, culture and late-night life working together,” he said. 

According to HOLBA, the 2025 surge in footfall was particularly strong between 15 and 29 December, when visitor numbers were 35% higher than the post-pandemic average. The alliance represents a central section of the West End, covering Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Haymarket and nearby streets.

Although the HOLBA area makes up just 12% of the West End's geography, it delivers outsized economic value, contributing £12.8 billion in gross value added (GVA), supporting more than 117,000 jobs, and attracting approximately 83 million visits a year.

Thomas said these figures match what The Hippodrome sees day to day.

“At the Hippodrome we see that impact every day, guests arriving for shows, dining, sport and nights out, choosing Leicester Square because it feels vibrant, welcoming and full of life,” he said. 

HOLBA's report, Spotlight on the West End: Unleashing Growth Through London’s Experience Economy, highlights the district as a globally significant economic and cultural engine. It argues that continued growth will require strategic investment, modern planning, licensing reforms, and close public-private collaboration.

Thomas agreed that policy support matters for venues like his.

“These figures are a reminder that when the West End succeeds, London succeeds,” he said.