The first-timer’s guide to visiting Wimbledon Tennis Championships
A guide to visiting Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London in 2025: Everything you need to know for your first trip to Wimbledon, from how to get tickets to what to wear and take with you.
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Wimbledon is as much a British summer tradition as Pimms and strawberries and cream – both of which are in ample supply – as London turns tennis mad for two weeks each year for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The championships began in 1877 and have become one of the world’s most famous tennis tournaments. They’re one of four Grand Slam competitions, alongside the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open, and the only one of the four played on grass courts.
From the queue to the Royal Box, Wimbledon’s traditions are as much a part of the experience as the actual tennis. I’m lucky enough to have experienced it for myself three times in the last few years, so have pulled all my Wimbledon tips together.
Whether you’re a Brit like me who’s grown up watching it on TV every summer, or an overseas visitor wanting to experience a uniquely British tradition, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Wimbledon Tennis Championships this summer.
When do the 2025 Wimbledon Tennis Championships take place?
This year’s Wimbledon takes place from Monday 30 June–Sunday 13 July 2025. 675 tennis matches are played on 19 courts over the two weeks of the Championships. The main events are the men’s and women’s singles but there are also men’s, women’s and mixed doubles as well as junior events (boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles).
The grounds open from 10am each day, and matches start on the outside courts at 11am, at 1pm on No 1 Court and at 1.30pm on Centre Court. Traditionally the men’s and women’s finals took place at 2pm but they’re now at 4pm, with the doubles finals first at 1pm.
How do you get tickets for Wimbledon?
There are a few different ways to get tickets for the Wimbledon Championships, but the main way is through the ballot. There’s been a public ballot for the tournament since 1924, and you can apply for a ticket in a lottery which is drawn at random.
It’s very oversubscribed though so you might not get lucky, and you need to start applying early. Until recently the ballot was done through paper forms, but it’s now electronic.
The ballot normally opens in September and you need to apply using the myWIMBLEDON system by November. If you’re successful, you’ll start to hear back from mid-February, and will be given a certain number of days to pay for your tickets.
Tickets range from £55–£315 depending on the day (the second week is more expensive) and which court you’re on (and where you’re sitting for Centre/No 1 Court as the back rows are cheaper). You don’t get any choice on what day or court you’re allocated, and tickets are non-transferable, so if you don’t want them they’re put back into the next ballot.
Ballots for returned tickets continue right on up until the tournament starts and tickets are issued electronically via the myWIMBLEDON mobile app.
What if I don’t manage to get a ticket in the Wimbledon ballot?
If you don’t get lucky in the ballot, the other ticket options are debentures, corporate hospitality and the queue – or you can watch the qualifying sessions.
Wimbledon debentures
At the pricey end of the spectrum are debenture seats. Debentures are five-year season passes to Wimbledon where you get the best seats on Centre Court and No 1 Court for each day of the Championships as well as access to exclusive lounges and restaurants.
Debenture owners can sell off any unwanted tickets on the Wimbledon Debenture Holders website if they can’t make certain days. They’re the only freely resaleable tickets for the tournament so are in high demand. You’re looking at around £1000 plus per ticket for Court No 1 going up to £6000 for a ticket to the finals on Centre Court.
The queue
Otherwise there’s the legendary Wimbledon queue. Five hundred tickets for Centre Court (except in the last four days), No 1 and 2 Courts are sold off on the day of play.
But if you want one you’ll have to get there the night before and camp in the designated area of Wimbledon Park (only two-man tents are allowed and you can store your camping gear in left luggage in the park for £5 – maximum bag size 60cm x 45cm x 25cm).
You can only get one ticket per person, so if you’re going with friends you all need to queue, but it has a great atmosphere. The queue has its own etiquette, where you’re given a ‘queue card’ to mark your place if you need to nip out, with toilets and food and drink outlets.
If you don’t fancy camping, a few thousand Grounds Passes are available on the day (arrive early before 9am). These cost £20–£30 and let you watch matches on the unreserved courts 3–18 and the big matches on screen from Henman Hill (or Murray Mound).
Grounds Pass holders can also upgrade their tickets for access to the show courts after 3pm by buying a resale ticket, where people who’ve left for the day let their tickets be sold on for charity. Tickets cost cost £15 per person for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1 and 2.
Qualifying
If you’re not able to get tickets for the actual championships, you can see some of the players in action at the qualifying competition, where unseeded players must get through three rounds to earn their place in the main men’s and women’s singles.
It takes place at the Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre (Bank Lane, Roehampton SW15 5JQ – nearest train station is in Barnes) over four days towards the end of June (Monday 23–Thursday 26 June in 2025). Tickets cost £15 per person and can be booked online from 1 June, with proceeds going to the Wimbledon charity foundation.
How do you get to Wimbledon?
The Wimbledon Tennis Championships take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (London SW19 5AE). The roads get clogged up and parking is at a premium, so the best way to get there is by public transport, but be prepared for queues.
The closest Tube station is Southfields, which is an easy 15-minute walk away straight down Wimbledon Park Road. Or Wimbledon Tube/train station is slightly further away, but there’s a shuttle bus available to the grounds (£4 single or £6 return).
What should I wear to Wimbledon – and take with me?
Unlike the players – whose white outfits are strictly enforced – there isn’t a dress code if you’re visiting Wimbledon, unless you’re in one of the hospitality or members’ areas. Think smart casual though, especially if you have tickets to Centre Court and No 1 Court.
The site is fairly big so you’ll be doing plenty of walking, so wear comfortable shoes. Also as this is the UK, you never know what the weather will do, so pack clothing for all seasons – it’s a good idea to bring a jumper, umbrella, raincoat and sunglasses with you.
If you’re lucky enough to get a sunny day, there’s limited shade on most courts (other than under the roof overhang on Centre/No 1 Courts) so bring a hat and sunscreen.
There are water refill points around the site as well as a decent array of other services like ATMs and a pharmacy. You can’t take bags bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 30cm into the grounds, but you can leave bigger items at left luggage (which costs £1/£5).
And what if it rains?
This is England in the summer, so chances are there’ll be rain at some point during the Championships. But the days when everything ground to a halt when it rained and we had to rely on Cliff Richard to keep us entertained us are long gone.
If you have tickets for Centre Court or No 1 Court, both have a retractable roof which means play can carry on if it rains. It takes about 10 minutes to close the roof and another 20 to get the air conditioning up and running and the conditions right, so there is a short delay.
But on the other courts rain still stops play. You can hide out in one of the cafés, or there’s the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum on site which is the world’s largest tennis museum and tells the story of the sport from 1555 to today and is free for ticket-holders.
Is there anything to eat other than strawberries and cream?
Pimms and strawberries and cream are an integral part of the Wimbledon experience – 200,000 punnets of strawberries are served during the Championships. But they’re not cheap, with a punnet of 10 strawberries £2.50 and glass of Pimms £11.95.
There are lots of other eating options though, ranging from takeaway cafés to sit-down restaurants and Champagne bars. Centre Court and No 1 Court have a few options each and there are also plenty of places to eat and drink around the grounds.
If you’re on a budget (or are on a special diet, as gluten- and dairy-free options are limited), you can bring in your own supplies. There’s a handy M&S Foodhall opposite Southfields Tube station if you don’t want to carry a picnic too far. You can bring cool bags in (within the size limit) but not hard-sided coolboxes or vacuum flasks over 500ml.
Visitors can also bring alcohol in with them – up to a bottle of wine or two cans of beer/premixed aperitifs per person. You do have to drink them in designated areas though.
Where should I stay if I’m visiting Wimbledon?
Staying in southwest London makes things easiest – and if you’re within walking distance then even better as you can avoid the crush on the Tube. Hotels in Wimbledon* get booked up really early, so you might want to look at Wandsworth, Putney or Earlsfield too, or it’s easy to reach Wimbledon from anywhere in central London on the District Line.
Many local residents rent out their houses during Wimbledon. We rented a one-bedroom apartment 25 minutes’ walk from the grounds for £144 a night for two people. Check out VRBO* and AirBnB for listings, but again nearby places get booked up early.
Save for later
Is it bad that i enjoy watching tennis more than watching the football.
Definitely not!
Hi, I have tickets for men’s final just wondering what time I should arrive ? as I think they have changed the time.
Hi Jenny, the finals are now at 4pm but the ladies’ doubles final will be held from 1pm on Centre Court first if you want to watch that too.
All great info, thank you so much!
Great blog! I am very fortunate in that my employer is gifting me two center court debenture tickets with hotel for two or three days at Wimbledon, and I was wondering which days I should pick? I don’t think the finals is an option at the debenture prices but I’m okay with that!
Thanks.
Ooh that’s a difficult one (but a great problem to have!). One option worth considering is Day 1 as you get to see last year’s men’s and women’s winners playing. Though otherwise I would try and go for the middle of week 2 as the competition will be heating up them.
Hello Lucy.
Thinking in advance I will be purchasing tickets for wimbledon next year as a 70th birthday present for my wife.
Your blog has been very helpful.
Thanks
Geoff
Thanks Geoff – have a few small updates to come after my trip there this year but it’s such a great experience!
Hi Lucy,
Great info, I’m a first timer as well. Going with my 10 year old daughter, she plays tennis. I have court 1 tickets for Friday 12th July, think it’s semi finals for mens. How do we know who will be playing on court 1 that day? What time would you suggest we make our way there so we can enjoy the whole experience and not miss the match. Do you think there will be many matches on the day before the semi finals?
Many thanks
Tanvi
Hi Tanvi, you only find out who is playing and when the night before, but 12 July will be Men’s Singles and Women’s Doubles semi-finals (though they’ll be split between Centre and Court 1). There’s also girls and boys matches and invitation doubles (which usually involve some famous names) on the other courts. Would suggest getting there a couple of hours before play starts on Court 1 at 1pm to have lunch/explore the grounds/watch a few other matches and maybe visit the museum.
Hi Lucy,
Going for the first time this year. Got tickets for no1 court second Friday.
Can’t wait.
Your blog is great. It’s answered all my questions. Which will make my day even better.
Big thanks,
Ally
Thanks Ally, hope you have a great time!
Great blog Lucy. I have Court No. 1 tickets for Day 2 and wondered if these also granted access to any of the unreserved / outdoor matches taking place earlier on in the day? Or do all unreserved / outdoor matches require a separate ticket? Thanks in advance!
Hi Chris, yes you also get access to the other courts with your ticket and they’re unreserved – though they can get busy so you might have to queue for some games.
@Lucy Dodsworth,
Hi, what courts can you go to if you have a Court 1 ticket? I heard we cannot go to Centre Court. I am also going tomorrow as a first timer.
Hi Hemil, for Centre Court, No 1 Court and No 2 Court you need a specific ticket – so you could only go into No 1 Court of those three, not Centre or No 2 – but the other courts are all open to anyone.
I was lucky enough to get men’s final tickets in the ballot this year. What time do you suggest arriving and where can we pre book lunch? What time do they usually finish play in the finals day?
The men’s final normally starts at 2pm and here’s not a lot of play on the outer courts on the last day so I’d suggest arriving around 12 and having lunch (the Centenary Brasserie and Wingfield restaurant both take reservations). I think the longest final has been 5 hours but 3/4 hours is more usual.
What a great write up – Thank you, you’ve really helped me get prepared and feel more comfortable about going, Really Appreciated xxxx
Have a wonderful time – I’m going back again this year and can’t wait!
I have issues with my knees and have stand 35 tickets (t298 & 299) on Court no 1, is there a lift? I can’t sit for the entire day, but I also can’t keep going up and down a lot of stairs! I also tend to need regular visits to the bathroom – are there any on the same level?
Thanks
I believe there is only a lift at Centre Court – this accessibility guide might be useful though https://www.wimbledon.com/pdf/Accessibility_Guide_2024.pdf
My daughter is treating me to Wimbledon on day 4. Would you recommend a sit down lunch or a Wimbledon picnic , would you re recommend the centenary brasserie. The picnic could be a disaster re weather, and would you find some where to sit ?. It’s my first visit .
Hi Jan, it’s going to depend a lot on the weather so is always going to be a bit of a guess! Booking a table means you’d be guaranteed somewhere dry but does limit your flexibility. There’s not a lot of cover elsewhere but you could eat in the Tea Lawn food area if it’s wet. Fingers crossed we get sun as I’m there on day 4 too (and bringing my own picnic!).
Are you able to purchase and obtain Grounds Passes in advance of your visit?
No I’m afraid you can’t buy them online or in advance and have to join the queue.
I am very last minute going to be in London week two of Wimbledon…th price between Centre Court and court one is a lot…is it worth it to splurge and do Centre Court.
There’s not a huge difference in the experience in the two courts, but you are likely to get the more high-profile matches/players on Centre Court – particularly if you’re going late in week two as there aren’t so many games happening then.
Hi Lucy – really useful info, thank you!
I’ve bought tickets for Centre Court from the ballot. I’ve downloaded the MyWimbledon app and I can only see a QR code so far. Do we receive tickets on the app nearer the time as I only have the booking email confirmation so far and I understand we have to show the tickets on the app when we arrive?
Also, I understand that matches begin on Centre Court at 1.30pm but how long should we plan to be there so I can plan our journey home?
Thank you.
Congratulations – I’m going again this year too! Tickets are issued via the app only a few days in advance I believe, so don’t worry until it gets close. And it’s really hard to estimate an end time as it’ll depend who’s playing and how close it is. But play normally finishes by 9pm (and the curfew is at 11pm!).
Hi!
This is very useful, thank you! I have been living 10 minutes from the tennis for 8 years but this is the first time I will be going.
I have tickets for the Ladies Final at 2 pm, what time can/should I go there? Can I go a bit earlier in the day and wander around?
Thank you!
Elisa
Hi Elisa, yes you can arrive any time after opening – there won’t be much on in the smaller courts that late in the competition but you might be able to see some of the girls and boys matches before the Ladies Final.
Hi Lucy! A friend and I are hoping to just get grounds passes one day during the first week of the tournament, probably between the 1st and 4th of July. How early do you recommend getting in the queue? I’ve heard the first week isn’t too crazy (once you pass opening day). But I’ve also heard if we’re not in line by 5am we’re in trouble. Any advice?
Hi Chanda, the Wimbledon website says that you should have a good chance of getting a Grounds Pass if you arrive before 9am but if you can get there any earlier then I definitely would.
Thanks for the information. We have two tickets for Wednesday, July 3. Our seats are pretty high up, can you tell me if lifts are available to the higher levels. Thank you.
Hi, yes there are lifts on Centre Court for the upper levels – this accessibility guide from last year has more information: https://www.wimbledon.com/pdf/The_Championships_2023_Accessibility_Guide.pdf
Really useful info, thanks. One question re leaving. We were lucky enough to get tickets in the ballot but are likely to have to leave Wimbledon around 19:00/19:30 to make our train back to York … if we head to Southfields station will we be able to get on the tube into London or are we better off going out to Wimbledon station to get on the tube at the beginning of the line? Not sure if the crowds will have calmed down by then as many people will be staying later? Thanks
Hi Lindsey, if you’re leaving at a set time then you should be fine in Southfields – it only tends to get very busy when play finishes and lots of people are heading off all at once.
Really useful. Thanks. Does anyone know if the left luggage facilities tend to have long queues or does it run quite efficiently? Also which facility best as we’ve got Court 2 tickets ? Thanks
Hi, the left luggage is usually pretty efficient without too much of a wait – the closest for Court 2 would be the one on Somerset Road by Gate f (here’s a map of the site which might be usefuL: https://www.wimbledon.com/pdf/The_Grounds_map_2023.pdf)
Hiya, this is a very helpful blog, thanks!
I got tickets for the ladies final in the ballot!
Will I just need the email with the tickets (me and my gran are going.) Or will I also need to take ID?
Thanks ☺️
Congratulations, hope you have a great time! You do need to take photo ID (passport or driving licence) and you can either use the mobile tickets or download them to the Wimbledon App.
Hi, do you know if there is wheelchair access to Herman Hill?
Yes the Wimbledon website says “The main grass level of the Aorangi Terrace (Henman Hill), from which the Large TV Screen may be viewed, has ramped access and a reserved area. Any of our stewards will be happy to help if you need assistance in accessing this area.”
Hello! Going in 2024 on July 7 and 8. Need 2 extra tickets for Centre Court.
Please let me know if you have. We are in a Centre Court Suite for 10 and unfortunately have 12 people. Does anyone have a suite looking for 2 extra people?
Thank you,
Leslie
Hi. We have got tickets for 15th July for No1 court but can’t see any matches for that day on No 1 court. Would anyone know why?
Hi, the full order of play isn’t released the last minute but the schedule shows what to expect https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/schedule.html – I had No 1 Court tickets for the last Saturday a couple of years ago and we had some doubles matches and some of the veterans/invitation matches featuring some well-known past players.
Hi We have 2 tickets to court 1 on Thursday 13 July and we would like to queue to get 2 more so that the whole family can go – my daughters are keen to camp for the experience – are there still lots of people camping even though there are no centre court tickets available that day?
Hi, there’s a useful Twitter account where you can see the current status of the queue @ViewFromTheQ – it seems that once you get past Day 10 and there are no Centre Court tickets there are very few people camping.
Hi,
I’m going in on a ground ticket in afternoon/ evening and hoping to head to Henman Hill, was hoping to bring one of those folding chairs to sit on. Is that allowed?
Mary
Hi, the maximum size for bags you can take in is 40cm x 30cm x 30cm so it would have to fit in to those dimensions.
Hi, we have tickets to Court 1 for final day, however it is the men’s final we are most interested in. Even with tickets should we queue to get in before 10 to get access to Henman Hill?
Also, do you know anything about the new Southern Village? If we decide to go here instead of Henman Hill would we lose our deckchair if we needed to use the loo?
Thanks.
Hi, afraid I’m not sure about the Southern Village and how busy it will be, but you shouldn’t need to queue too early if you have tickets as the ticket-holders queue moves fast. If you want a prime position on the Hill it may be worth getting there ready for 10am (weather dependent – it’s a long time to wait outside until 2pm if it’s raining!).
I have tickets through public ballot for Thursday 13th centre court. I have booked to come down on the day from York getting into Kings Cross at 10ish. Should that be ok to get there for ladies semi final match. Is there likely to be a big queue if you have tickets for that date. I struggle to stand too long.
The ticket-holders queue normally moves very quickly so you should be ok – and play doesn’t start on Centre Court until 1.30pm so there should be plenty of time to get to Wimbledon from Kings Cross. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, My son has tickets for men’s finals day this year and is taking me as a birthday present! Very excited. I’ve been several times before although always during earlier days where there is a lot to see on outside courts etc. Do you know if there is anything to see on men’s finals day before play starts at 2pm (apart from the museum)? Do you know if we can get to see them practise / warm up etc or are any other things going on? Any advise welcome – don’t want to arrive when gates open at 10 if nothing to see as I’ll just eat and drink for 4 hours before play starts!
Hi Maureen, I visited on ladies’ final day a couple of years back and there were several other matches on the same day including some veterans’ matches which were great fun. If you check the official schedule it says there are wheelchair and boys and girls finals and invitation and veterans matches on the last day this year https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/schedule.html
Hi Lucy
Reading all the comments from last year… I want to know if we are able to get tickets to the grounds, can we just go and sit on any seats at the different courts except centre, 1 & 2?
Hi Sunet, yes that’s right – grounds passes give you access to matches on courts 3–18 (though you may need to queue up early to get a seat as they can be quite busy).