By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Ladies’ Singles FinalSaturday 10 July 2027
- Gentlemen’s Singles FinalSunday 11 July 2027
- Where
- All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
- Tickets
- Ticketed
- Runs
- June / July
- Held
- Annual
The Public Ballot for this edition closes the previous September, so it is the one to plan around now.
You do not need a ballot ticket to get into Wimbledon. Three routes are open to anyone who turns up: the Queue in Wimbledon Park for grounds passes and show-court tickets, same-day resale tickets from the afternoon, and Henman Hill with a grounds pass. The resale route is the least known and by some distance the best value.
What Wimbledon actually is
The oldest tennis tournament in the world, played on grass at the All England Club in south-west London over a fortnight. The Public Ballot allocates a share of show-court seats by lottery and closes the previous September, which is why most first-time visitors assume the tournament is shut to them. It is not. A meaningful block of tickets is deliberately held back for people who queue, and a second block is recycled through resale every afternoon.
Where to watch Wimbledon
- The Queue, Wimbledon Park. The famous one, and genuinely democratic. Turn up early morning for a grounds pass, or pitch a two-person tent overnight for a show-court ticket. The first 500 people in line on a given morning choose between Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2. The second 500 choose from what is left. The third 500 take whichever show court remains, usually Court 2. Past 1,500 in the line you are queueing for a grounds pass.
- The same-day Resale kiosk. Ticket holders who leave early hand their seats back, and those seats go on sale again from mid-afternoon at the kiosk near the Aorangi Pavilion. Centre Court and Court 1 seats resell for a token amount, Court 2 for less, and every penny goes to the Wimbledon Foundation. Collect a resale wristband from around half an hour before the kiosk opens.
- Henman Hill, officially The Hill. A grounds pass gets you onto the grass in front of the big screen. Strawberries are famously price-capped. For a lot of visitors this is the better day out: the atmosphere is the point, and you keep the freedom to wander the outside courts.
- The outside courts, which nobody talks about enough. A grounds pass covers a dozen-plus courts running full match play, often with seeded players in the first week, watched from a few metres away rather than from the back of a stand.
Tickets and what it costs
Grounds-pass pricing steps down as the tournament progresses and the outside courts empty out. Resale seats are the cheapest way into a show court by a wide margin and are priced as a charity donation rather than a market rate. Show-court seats bought any other way go through the ballot, official hospitality, or the debenture market, and the resale market outside the grounds is both expensive and, for unofficial sellers, void.
Official information and booking: www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/ballot.html
Getting there
Southfields on the District line is the closest station and the signed walk to the grounds takes around fifteen minutes. Wimbledon station is served by the District line, National Rail and the tram, and a shuttle bus runs from there during the tournament. Do not drive: residential parking around the club is permit-controlled for the fortnight and enforced aggressively.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Other London events
Frequently asked questions
Can you get into Wimbledon without a ticket?
Yes. The Queue in Wimbledon Park sells grounds passes and a block of show-court tickets to anyone who turns up, and the same-day resale kiosk recycles seats handed back by departing spectators from mid-afternoon. Neither requires a ballot entry.
What is the cheapest way to see a match on Centre Court?
The same-day resale kiosk. Seats returned by ticket holders who leave early are resold for a token sum that goes to the Wimbledon Foundation. You need a grounds pass to be inside the grounds first, then collect a resale wristband ahead of the kiosk opening.
How early do you have to queue at Wimbledon?
For a grounds pass, early morning is usually enough. For a show court, the first 500 places decide who gets the choice of Centre, Court 1 or Court 2, and on the busiest days those go overnight. Finals weekend realistically requires camping the afternoon before.
Is a grounds pass worth it?
For most first visits, yes. It covers the outside courts, where a dozen or more matches run simultaneously and you watch from a few metres away, plus The Hill and its big screen. Many regulars prefer it to a show-court seat.
Can you bring your own food and drink?
Yes, within limits the club publishes each year, and a lot of visitors do. The strawberry price is deliberately held low, but everything else inside the grounds is priced as you would expect at a major sporting venue.
What happens if it rains?
Centre Court and Court 1 both have retractable roofs, so play continues there. Outside courts stop, which pushes crowds onto the covered concourses and into the queues for the show courts. A wet day is the one day a resale wristband is hardest to use well.
Sources
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.