With December fast approaching, and Saint Nicholas putting the finishing touches to his sleigh, the race for the Official Christmas Number 1 is officially underway. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen big movements in who the bookies believe will top the charts at Christmas. There are also several high-profile artists set to release music this December and with the ongoing influence of social media campaigns, the charts could feature some surprising contenders. Whether it’s a viral TikTok sensation, a powerful charity anthem, or a returning chart veteran, we’re set for an exciting contest.
The Christmas Number 1 is more than just a chart position. It has become an huge part of Britain’s festive traditions. Many people enjoy a fun punt on the market and so we’ve put together this guide to show you how you can bet on the Christmas Number 1, who the current favourites are, and the latest Christmas Number 1 odds.
Betting on the Christmas Number 1 has become extremely popular over the years. As such, there are several online bookmakers that take bets on which artist will top the charts.
If you’re looking for the best Christmas Number 1 odds, we’d recommend bet365. They also have a generous welcome offer available to all new customers. However, both Betfred and William Hill are great choices for novelty bets, along with for bets on TV shows such as I’m A Celebrity, Dancing On Ice, and Eurovision.
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The answer to this question may seem obvious, but the Christmas Number 1 is actually decided before Christmas Day.
In 2024, the UK Christmas Number 1 will be revealed on Friday 20th December at 5.45pm GMT. BBC Radio 1 will be counting down from the Christmas Top 40 from 4pm until the official Christmas Number 1 for 2024 is announced.
The Official Christmas Number 1 is determined through The Official Chart. Gone are the days when record sales alone lead to a number 1 single, as in 2024, there are several channels that are taken into account, which include the following:
Data is collected from over 8,000 retailers and digital services on a daily basis, which ensures that 99.9% of the total UK singles market is covered to give accurate chart positioning.
There’s often a clear favourite at any one time in the running for the UK Christmas Number 1. However, odds can change quickly, especially in the weeks leading up to Christmas when artists are still to release their songs.
You can find the latest Christmas Number 1 odds on any of the betting sites we have listed on this page. You’ll find them by navigating to the ‘Specials’ markets in the long list of sports and clicking on ‘UK Christmas Number 1 Odds’.
There are several contenders for the 2024 UK Christmas Number 1, with a varied selection of well-know artists, and some newcomers.
Here are some of the top contenders who are predicted to be in the running for the 2024 Christmas Number 1:
Marking the 40th anniversary of the legendary ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, Sir Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, and Trevor Horn are set to release a special edition of the iconic charity single. Since the news broke of the release, bookmakers have made Band Aid as odds-on favourites to claim the 2024 Christmas Number 1 spot.
Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ are set to challenge Band Aid for the Christmas Number 1, being close 2nd & 3rd favourites. Both are classic, well-known Christmas songs, which are likely to do well in the charts with millions of people streaming the hits in the weeks leading up to Christmas to get in the festive mood.
Tom Grennan’s ‘It Can’t Be Christmas’ enters the UK Christmas Number 1 race as a slight outsider. The song has been released as an Amazon Music Original, which gives Grennan a clever advantage. Alexa devices across the UK often prioritise Amazon-exclusive content which could result in the 29-year-old singer/songwriter being given a boost up the charts in a similar fashion to how Sam Ryder’s ‘You’re Christmas To Me’ made it to to Number Two last year.
The first official Christmas Number 1 began in 1952, with Al Martino’s Here in My Heart becoming the first chart-topping festive single. Since then, we’ve had some of the most memorable songs ever made take the number 1 spot over Christmas, with some memorable titles including Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir’s ‘A Bridge Over You’, ‘2 Become 1’ by the Spice Girls, and East 17’s ‘Stay Another Day’. However, the Christmas Number 1 spot can be claimed by anyone, proven by LadBaby topping the charts for five consecutive years between 2018-2022 with hits such ‘We Built This City’, ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Eatin’, ‘Sausage Rolls for Everyone’, and ‘Food Aid. And who could forget Bob the Builder making Christmas memorable in 2000 with ‘Can We Fix It?’.
| Year | Artist | Song | Weeks At #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | East 17 | Stay Another Day | 5 |
| 1995 | Michael Jackson | Earth Song | 6 |
| 1996 | Spice Girls | 2 Become 1 | 3 |
| 1997 | Spice Girls | Too Much | 2 |
| 1998 | Spice Girls | Goodbye | 1 |
| 1999 | Westlife | I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun[nb 3] | 4 |
| 2000 | Bob the Builder | Can We Fix It? | 3 |
| 2001 | Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman | Somethin’ Stupid | 3 |
| 2002 | Girls Aloud | Sound of the Underground | 4 |
| 2003 | Michael Andrews and Gary Jules | Mad World | 3 |
| 2004 | Band Aid | Do They Know It’s Christmas? | 4 |
| 2005 | Shayne Ward | That’s My Goal | 4 |
| 2006 | Leona Lewis | A Moment Like This | 4 |
| 2007 | Leon Jackson | When You Believe | 3 |
| 2008 | Alexandra Burke | Hallelujah | 3 |
| 2009 | Rage Against the Machine | Killing in the Name[nb 6] | 1 |
| 2010 | Matt Cardle | When We Collide[nb 7] | 3 |
| 2011 | Military Wives with Gareth Malone | Wherever You Are | 1 |
| 2012 | The Justice Collective | He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother | 1 |
| 2013 | Sam Bailey | Skyscraper | 1 |
| 2014 | Ben Haenow | Something I Need | 1 |
| 2015 | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir | A Bridge over You[nb 9] | 1 |
| 2016 | Clean Bandit | Rockabye ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie | 9 |
| 2017 | Ed Sheeran | Perfect | 6 |
| 2018 | LadBaby | We Built This City | 1 |
| 2019 | LadBaby | I Love Sausage Rolls | 1 |
| 2020 | LadBaby | Don’t Stop Me Eatin’ | 1 |
| 2021 | LadBaby | Sausage Rolls for Everyone ft. Ed Sheeran and Elton John[42][nb 11] | 1 |
| 2022 | LadBaby | Food Aid [27] | 1 |
| 2023 | Wham! | Last Christmas [4] | 6 |
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