Whamageddon: the rules of the game and how to avoid hearing Wham!'s Last Christmas throughout December

It's silly season, Last Christmas is blasting through the airwaves, and it can all only mean one thing...
Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael of Wham!
Getty Images
Tom Herbert13 December 2023

It's Christmas, and that can only mean one thing: the cannon of festive songs are on hard rotation in shops, on the radio and on all the recommended playlists. And so it’s time for the, now annual, game of Whamageddon again.

The quirkily named game is a contest where people attempt to avoid hearing Wham!'s song, Last Christmas, throughout December. Sure, we're half way through silly season already, but that doesn't mean you can't jump on the bandwagon today (serious Whamageddon players, however, may see it as cheating).

Whamageddon is much more difficult than you might think: one year, Tesco even got involved pondering whether or not to include the track on its Christmas list. In the end, it decided to include it, challenging brave Whamageddon players to let them know when they had made it through a store.

If you want to play, here are the rules of the game.

Whamageddon rules

The premise is simple: to win, go as long as possible without hearing Last Christmas during the festive season.

The game starts on December 1 and ends at midnight on Christmas Eve.

To make it a bit easier, the rules on the official website say only the original counts. Cover versions are fine – meaning you can listen to them to your heart's content.

You're out the second as you recognise the song. Losers must post the hashtag #whamageddon on social media to join the other fallen warriors in Whamhalla.

While the game's official rules call ask participants not to deliberately send the song to friends, people online have been turning it into an all-out war.

Tricks and tips

Very few people manage to win Whamageddon: Last Christmas is afterall a staple of nearly every respectable Christmas playlist. However, there are some strategies that will increase the likelihood of winning.

1) If you are an extremist, the easiest way to win is to listen to zero Christmas music throughout December. That means no shuffling Apple Music's curated playlists, and no absent-mindedly putting on the radio. If you get a taxi, ask them to put on a non-Christmas channel. Or, to be even safer, sit in silence. Shop online – you never know when Wham!'s hit will play out in stores, ruining your Christmas. Don't go to any parties, just in case the DJ doesn't know, or care, about Whamageddon.

2) For those who are playing less seriously, all we can do is say good luck. It's a dangerous world out there. Covers are your best friend – not only have there been loads, but it means you can still enjoy the song (albeit not the perfect original) and remain in the running for Whamageddon. On Spotify there are some Whamageddon friendly playlists, so you can still listen to your favourite Christmas bangers without feeling on edge.

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