The Brits are famous for queuing, and there is no more iconic sea of slow-moving people than that formed by hopeful tennis fans every day throughout the months of June and July in the environs of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC).
Each day, thousands wait patiently in line in a bid to nab a ticket to the world’s hottest racket-based sports competition.
For the first nine days of the tournament, around 500 tickets for the show courts – Centre Court, Court 1, and Court 2 – are made available to queuers on each day of play.
Several thousand ground passes, which offer access to the less glamorous outside courts, are also up for grabs.
In total, somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 lucky queuers get to watch some yellow ball action on any given day.
All tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you’re planning on joining the famous Wimbledon queue for tickets this year, you’ll want to read our handy guide below.
1. Wimbledon Ticket Sales Location, Times and Dates
Show court tickets are only available via the queue during the first nine days of the tournament, which forms at the AELTC, located at Church Lane, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5AG. This is where the Wimbledon Championships are held, and you can find the Ticket Office and the Ticket Resale Kiosk here.
Once the quarter-final stage starts, it’s just ground passes available via the queue.
For the 2025 edition of the championships, the queue will officially start to form at 14:00 on Sunday, June 29th.
1.1 Where to Exactly Find The Wimbledon Queue
You can find the queue in Wimbledon Park (Revelstoke Road entrance).
The District Line to Southfields is the closest station to the queue (around a five-minute walk to the entrance of Wimbledon Park).
However, the Tube doesn’t usually start running until around 05:30-6:00 on weekdays and later on weekends, so this might not be early enough to be at the very front of the queue.
If you’re planning to take your car, bear in mind that most Wimbledon-adjacent parking spaces don’t allow overnight parking, but several public car parks nearby do (see below).
1.2 Nearby Public Car Parks
- Hartfield Road Car Park: Approximately 1 mile from the AELTC, offering 151 spaces. Open 24 hours.
- Queens Road Car Park: Around 1.2 miles away, with 159 spaces. Open 24 hours.
- St George’s Road Car Park: Located about 1.3 miles from the club, providing 113 spaces. Open 24 hours.
These car parks are pay-and-display. Overnight parking policies vary.
1.3 Private and Pre-Booked Parking
Platforms like JustPark, YourParkingSpace, and ParkOnMyDrive offer pre-booked private parking options, many of which are in the heart of SW19 and are just minutes away from the AELTC.
By renting someone’s private parking space, you can guarantee yourself an off-road parking space for the duration of your stay in SW19.
Bear in mind, the forces of supply and demand are in play here, so expect prices to ramp up over the two weeks of the tournament.
2. How to Prepare for the Wimbledon Queue
Preparation is key when you’re queuing for hours.
Before you make your way to the AELTC, remember to pack essentials like water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, comfortable shoes, and that all-important umbrella or waterproof poncho.
A small tarp or waterproof groundsheet can also make queuing a more agreeable experience when the weather takes a turn.
Also, remember that although the waiting area is kitted out with charging points, it’s probably best to bring a portable charger and battery along with you so you can keep your phone charged and close, and therefore don’t miss any important queue updates.
2.1 Check the Queue Status
Don’t travel to the AELTC without first checking the queue status on the official website: http://wimbledon.com.
Also, check https://x.com/Wimbledon regularly to stay up to date on the latest queue status.
2.2 Timing is Everything
The early bird catches the worm, so be prepared to get up at stupid o’clock – or camp out – if you want to secure the tickets, especially if you’re determined to experience the action on the show courts.
If you’re less fussy about which court you visit, you should be able to arrive slightly later and still nab an outside court ticket.
- Overnight: Good chance of a show court ticket when the passes start to be handed out at 05:30.
- Early morning (05:30–7:00): Arriving during this window typically results in obtaining a grounds pass, with entry into the grounds occurring around 12:00 to 13:00.
- Late morning (post-08:00): Arriving after 8:00 will likely result in longer wait times, and sadly, there’s a risk that queue cards may be exhausted when you arrive. In 2023, for example, the AELTC reported that on the third day of the tournament, there were more than 8,000 people in the queue by 08:30.
2.3 Choose a Less Popular Period
The first three days of the tournament tend to be less busy than subsequent ones, so opt to join the queue then.
And check the weather forecast – if it predicts rain, you can bet the queue will be shorter, giving you better odds of getting in.
You might also want to go for a pass that gives you access to the grounds, rather than a show-court pass, as this will tend to cut your queue time and allow you to join the queue later in the morning.
Plus, you can use your ground-access pass as your passport to levelling up at the resale kiosk and bagging a show court ticket the sneaky way (see below).
2.4 Check-In Procedure
The check-in procedure at Wimbledon uses a hybrid of old-school paper chits and digital login.
Everyone wishing to enter the grounds is still issued with a paper queue card with a queue number printed on it.
This is your passport to eventually buying a ticket, so keep it safe.
But the check-in procedure also requires queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWIMBLEDON account.
The steward will then use your myWIMBLEDON ID to officially confirm your place in the queue.
Once you have been checked in, you will then receive real-time updates about the status of the queue and your place in it.
3. How to Master the Wimbledon Queue & Ticket Sales
3.1 Queue Etiquette
A friendly atmosphere is cultivated in the queue, and waiters are encouraged to act respectfully towards fellow queuers and stewards.
Remember:
- No amplified music or loud noise is allowed after 22:00.
- Consume alcohol moderately if you fancy a tipple – excessive drinking and parties are a no-no and will get you ejected.
- You can only pitch a tent from 18:00 onwards on Sunday, June 29, 2025, if you’re hoping to attend the first day of matches when play starts on Monday.
3.2 Keep Tabs on the Wristband Allocation
Stewards often start distributing wristbands to queuers around 07:30 as a prelude to the tickets officially going on sale.
Wristbands are given out first to those at the front of The Queue and they are colour-coded: Green: Centre Court, Blue: No.1 Court, Red: No.2 Court.
If you receive a wristband for a specific court, it generally means you will have an opportunity to purchase a ticket for that court later in the day.
3.3 Bring ID and a Contactless Payment Card
Wimbledon is mostly cashless now, so be sure to pack a credit or debit card or a contactless (NFC) payment option (Apple Pay, Google Pay) to pay for your tickets.
3.4 The Queue Walk
Between 07:00 and 07:30 each day, queuers are encouraged to migrate from Wimbledon Park towards the staging area known as the ‘Village’, the ticket-buying ante room just outside the entrance to the AELTC.
This is a critical time in the queuing process — you must stay alert and have your queue card handy at this time.
You’ll pass through a series of checkpoints and security barriers before you finally arrive at the stadium and its kiosks.
The grounds officially open at 10:00, but tickets typically go on sale fifteen minutes before at around 09:45.
3.5 Scour the Screens
Once you’re in the Village and waiting to be given the go-ahead to buy your ticket, it’s important to keep an eye on the information screens.
Once there is spare capacity in the stadium, the screens will invite people holding the relevant Queue card numbers to purchase tickets at the designated ticket kiosks.
3.6 Second Chance Tickets
Don’t worry if you miss out on nabbing a showcourt ticket.
You have a second chance, but you will have to buy a Grounds Pass to secure it.
At 15:00 each day at the Ticket Resale kiosk north of Court 18. The Ticket Office next to Gate 3 also has resale tickets for sale.
You will need to have a valid Grounds Pass ticket to be eligible to purchase a resale show court ticket.
4. Wimbledon Accommodation Tips
4.1 Camping Need-to-Knows
Camping is permitted in Wimbledon Park, the designated queuing area. This allows you to secure a position in line early and rest overnight.
However, note that overnight stays in the queue are permitted only with two-person tents.
Facilities in the camping area include toilets, water refill stations, food outlets, first aid, and phone charging stations.
4.2 The Hotel Trick
If camping isn’t appealing, consider staying in a nearby hotel to ensure an early start.
Options range from budget accommodations to more luxurious stays.
Choose a hotel that is within walking distance of the stadium and be sure to wake at 03:30, which should allow you ample time to arrive at Wimbledon Park by 04:00–04:15 at the latest.
By joining the queue before 04:30, you give yourself better odds of being assigned a coloured wristband and the chance to buy a golden ticket for that day’s play on a show court.
Equipped with our Wimbledon queue and ticket tips you should make it to one of the hottest and most anticipated sports events in London! Embrace the experience!
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