Queuing at Wimbledon 🎾

Every summer, thousands come from around the world to watch The Championships at Wimbledon, in The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. With approximately 470,000 in attendance this year, it is a proven fact that Wimbledon is tradition here in London as well as a high commodity. If you find yourself out of luck with scoring tickets to this coveted sporting event don’t fret, Yull Shoes has your back with a complete guide on how to queue for same day tickets. 

Before we get into the steps of what you need to know about queuing for tickets, be sure to pack some equipment for an all day outing! Keep in mind that if you have a tent there are designated areas where you can leave them for the day before you enter the grounds.  

• Tents and lawn chairs ⛺ (if you are planning to queue for more than 10hrs)
• Picnic Blanket
• Sun Screen
• Backpack 🎒
• Sun Glasses
• Alcohol (only if you are of age!)
• Snacks (Food is expensive!)

Step One: ARRIVE EARLY 🌅

If you want a chance to buy Centre Court, Court 1, and Court 2 tickets for the day, you will need to arrive extra early. Believe it or not even three days before opening day of the tournament! Those who arrive the earliest will have a higher chance of buying the top tier courts as there are only a select number tickets that are left over from each court. Grounds passes are also in high demand and require about a 7 hour queue time since the grounds can only allocate enough tickets for each day of the tournament. If you plan on queuing for the first week make sure you are there around 4am each day to guarantee at least a Grounds pass. 

Step Two: Joining the Queue and getting a Queue Card 🔢

When you arrive to the queue, look for workers that are dressed in highlighter vests with a huge flag that says “End of Queue”. They will hand you two things: a card with the number of your place in the queue and an official code of conduct rulebook for queuing. Once you have both, take your place in the queue and begin waiting until instructed to move. 



Step Three: Purchasing Tickets

Once you reach this step, you are likely to get a Grounds Pass at the very least (if you have queued for more than 5 hours). However, if you are someone that was towards the front of the queue you will be able to purchase more than just a Grounds Pass. The biggest piece of advice for those who do not queue as long but still want tickets to Centre Court, Court 1, and Court 2 is to make your way to the resale booth that is located on top of the grounds by Henman Hill and behind Court 1 (keep in mind that you still need to purchase a Grounds Pass). If you want to try your luck at getting left over resale tickets be sure to try and fight your way to the front as there are very few if any. Make sure to do your best fast walk up there because you will get in trouble for running as it is frowned upon in the grounds!

Last Step: Have Fun! Embrace Tradition 🍓

Whether you were able to score seats to Centre Court or just a Grounds Pass, enjoy your time at Wimbledon. If you are visiting London and are not a local be sure to take in the culture of this British pastime as it is like nothing else. Immerse yourself in the tradition of eating strawberries and cream and sitting on Henman Hill! Cool yourself down with a Pimms, one of Britain’s famous summer drinks, as you watch the best tennis players in the world compete against one another.

It is no surprise that the first week of Wimbledon is the most hectic time to queue up as there are a combined 256 players between the men’s and women’s main singles draw - not including doubles, mixed doubles, wheelchair, and juniors of the tournament. The main reason that people “eat, sleep, queue, and repeat” so heavily on the first week of Wimbledon is because of the ability to be up close and personal with the players. Courts like 14-17 offer a close to the action feel as they are very intimate and have fans literally watching from 3m away! 

If you plan on queuing for the second week of Wimbledon follow the same steps above with keen emphasis on both Henman Hill and the resale booth. For the most part, Centre Court, Court 1, and Court 2 tickets will be very scarce since most are reserved tickets in the later stages of the tournament. The resale booth is a long shot even more so at this point of the tournament as they are very few who would want to leave early and miss the action. Many who queue early will find a perfect spot on Henman Hill to lounge the entire day!

Let us know if you have any tips that we missed for queuing at Wimbledon! We hope that this guide was informative and helps you through the process of queuing at the Championships! Have a great week from us here at Yull Shoes and follow us on instagram @yullshoes.

Team Yull xx