IKEA EdmontonOpening Incident
At the midnight opening of the new IKEA store in Edmonton, north London, a much larger crowd than expected gathered for heavily advertised bargain offers. Reports describe a crush / stampede, disorder inside and outside the store, and the store closing after roughly 30–42 minutes.
Incident Overview
IKEA Edmonton opening, north London. Sources also describe it as the opening of IKEA’s new flagship / biggest British store in Edmonton.
Date: 10 February 2005. Multiple contemporary reports describe the incident as occurring at the midnight opening that began just after midnight on 10 February 2005.
Location: IKEA Edmonton / IKEA Tottenham, Edmonton, north London, London Borough of Enfield, England, UK. Contemporary reports place it in Edmonton, north London, and later Enfield planning documents identify the former IKEA site as Glover Drive / Meridian Water, east of Meridian Way.
Summary: At the midnight opening of the new IKEA store in Edmonton, north London, a much larger crowd than expected gathered for heavily advertised bargain offers. Reports describe a crush / stampede, disorder inside and outside the store, and the store closing after roughly 30–42 minutes.
Reported Outcome
Injuries Reported, No Deaths Verified
Reported injuries: Conflicting reports. Contemporary sources report: five people taken to hospital plus a stabbing victim; six people taken to hospital including the stabbed man; 20 people needing hospital treatment; and London Fire Brigade helping ambulance staff deal with 22 people with heat exhaustion and crush injuries.
Reported fatalities: No fatalities found in sources reviewed for the Edmonton incident.
Check Conflicts →Key Figures
What The Sources Say
Chronology
Midnight Opening Escalation
Operational Themes
Pressure Points
Disputed Details
Conflicting Information
The core event is well supported, but the exact casualty figures, crowd size and closure timing vary across reports.
The Guardian (Mark Oliver) reported six people were taken to hospital, including the stabbed man.
Mail & Guardian and AP/Gulf News reported five other people received hospital treatment, plus the stabbed man.
These are close but not identical formulations. One possible difference is whether the stabbed man is included in the hospital figure.
Irish Independent reported 20 in need of hospital treatment.
Evening Standard reported five other people were taken to hospital, while London Fire Brigade helped ambulance staff deal with 22 people suffering heat exhaustion and crush injuries.
These figures appear to describe different thresholds: hospital transport, hospital need, and on-scene treatment / ambulance assistance.
The Guardian and The Independent reported around 6,000 attendees.
Evening Standard reported 4,000 people flocked to the opening.
Contemporary reports do not agree on the total attendance.
The Guardian reported the store closed just over 40 minutes after opening.
The Independent reported 42 minutes; Evening Standard reported 30 minutes.
All sources agree the closure happened very shortly after opening, but not on the exact minute count.
The Guardian reported 500 leather sofas for £45.
Irish Independent reported 350 sofas usually £325, sold for £49.
Reporting differs on both stock quantity and advertised price.
Not Verified
Details Not Settled By The Source Set
These points should not be treated as confirmed facts without stronger source support.
Source Material
References
Selected reports, later analysis and location-supporting material used to build this incident page.
All Document URLs
Source Links
Direct links to the reference material listed in the incident file.
