What is ‘Whamageddon’?

Wham! are one of the groups to dominate the festive season thanks to their iconic track Last Christmas, but it has also become the subject of a game known as Whamageddon.

The duo, comprised of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, first released the song on 3 December, 1984 and though it did not win the number one spot on the charts that year the track has gone on to be one of the definitive songs of Christmas. Because of this, it has become the subject of a game played by the public every year.

Whamageddon is so beloved that a DJ was forced to apologise to attendees of a match at Northampton Town F.C. after playing the track at the event and leading to 7,000 people to lose the game in one fell swoop. But what are the rules and why is it so important? Here is everything you need to know.

What is Whamageddon?

Whamageddon is a game in which a person has to try and go as long as possible without hearing Wham!'s song Last Christmas. It first became a competitive game in 2010 as part of GTPlanet, a sim game.

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The rules were slightly different to the current iteration of the competition, but it sowed the seed for the current version of the annual game. In 2016 Whamageddon gained worldwide appeal and became the game it is today thanks to the creation of a Facebook page under its current name and rules.

What are the rules of Whamageddon?

The rules for Whamageddon are simple, from 1 December a person has to try and go as long as possible in the first 24 days of the month without hearing Last Christmas.

Only the original version of Last Christmas counts, so players are still in the game if they hear a remix of the song or a cover. However, if they do hear the original version of the song then players must announce they are out of the game by posting #Whamageddon on their social media.

People taking part in the game can also compete against each other, and it is within the rules to try and play the song to another person so that they are eliminated, though not encouraged. It is also possible for players to send Last Christmas to other players in order to prompt them to play it, and therefore lose the game — this too is seen as poor sportsmanship.

When does Whamageddon end?

Whamageddon officially stops at the end of Christmas Eve, aka at 23:59pm on 24 December. If a player has been able to avoid listening to or hearing Last Christmas by this time then they win the survival game.

If a person loses, they are sent to "Whamhalla" until the next year when they can restart the game on 1 December if they wish.