How to Get Tickets to Wimbledon
It is never too soon to plan a trip to Wimbledon, even if it's 12 months away. You might assume that's about locking in the best rates on travel and accommodation. Actually, it's because the Public Ballot opens well in advance of the following year's Championships, and if you want tickets in advance, this is the best way to get them. You just have to be quick.
Don't panic, we'll break it all down so you know what to expect. And even if you miss out in the Public Ballot, there are other routes: the resale through the Wimbledon website, or an LTA membership. Be warned, you still need to be on your toes with these too.
The short version
Public Ballot: free, the main route, opens around September. Apply early.
Online resale: leftover tickets released in batches, first come first served, right up to the day before.
LTA Fan ballot: a £20 membership gets you a second ballot with better odds.
Amex sale: a perk if you're an American Express member.
Sponsor competitions and Debentures: rarer, longer-shot routes.
The Queue: turn up on the day, a Wimbledon tradition in itself.
Why can't I just buy tickets online?
Let's answer the obvious question: why can't you buy Wimbledon tickets online the way you would for most events, clicking "buy tickets" and checking out? Wimbledon doesn't work that way. Instead it uses a ballot system, which isn't unusual in the UK. The reason is to stop tickets ending up on resale sites or in the hands of touts who would flip them at vastly inflated prices. Wimbledon wants tickets to go to people who actually want to be there, at a fair price.
What it costs
Before you apply, it helps to know what you might pay. The good news: there's no dynamic pricing here, so a ticket costs the same whether you buy it in October or on the day you arrive. Wimbledon publishes a full table on their website (ticket prices), but here's the shape of it:
The cheapest ticket is a Ground Pass on the final three days, at £20, though your tennis options are more limited by then.
The most expensive are front-row Centre Court seats on finals weekend, at £350 each.
Those same seats on Day 1 cost £115 each.
It really is one of the most reasonably priced major sporting events out there.
The Public Ballot
Right, let's talk about the Ballot. Here's what to expect when you apply. If you're reading this before the Championships, come back to this part once they're over, the sooner the better, as the ballot usually opens in September.
First, you create a myWimbledon account on the Wimbledon website. It asks for your name, email, date of birth, and home address. That lets you enter the ballot, which is as simple as checking your details are correct and clicking Submit. Entry is completely free. You won't pay anything unless you're successful.
One VERY important detail: you can only enter one application per address. If someone aged 16 or over lives with you, they can't also apply. There are stories of co-habiting couples who both applied and both got kicked out of the process. So hope you have a second home, or a friend happy to apply too.
Worth noting: if you're a wheelchair user, you can enter a second ballot specifically for you, which improves your chances.
Once you've applied, it's a waiting game. From October onwards, people are told by email if they've been successful, so check regularly. If you're successful, you'll be offered two tickets, and you don't get to choose what they're for. You could be offered two Centre Court semi-final tickets, or two Court 2 tickets on Day 5. You won't be offered Ground Passes, since those are only sold on the day. The minimum you might be offered is two top-row Court 1 seats on a finals day, at £80 total. The most would be two Centre Court finals tickets, at £630 total. What you're offered is random.
If you decide not to accept, that's it. Wimbledon gives you one offer. Decline it and your chance through Wimbledon directly is gone for the year, and you'll have to hope for a better offer next time.
Let's be positive and say you're offered tickets you're happy with. You confirm you want to buy them and check out through an online kiosk like any other purchase. You'll need the myWimbledon app, since that's where your ticket lives and what you scan on entry. Both tickets go to your app, so the person with the second ticket needs the app too, and the rules let you transfer one ticket, not both.
Not successful? There's still hope.
Online resale
I said you can't just buy tickets from the website. You technically can, but it's a bit more involved, and this is where having a myWimbledon account all year round pays off. If you miss out in the ballot, you're eligible for the online resale, which works more like buying tickets to any other event. Wimbledon puts leftover tickets online in batches, first come first served, right up to the day before. You get full day and court choice from what's left, though again, no Ground Passes.
This is how I got Centre Court tickets in 2024 and ended up seeing Andy Murray's retirement ceremony. While I was choosing, I even saw that tickets for finals Saturday, including the Women's Singles Final, were still available. The catch: you won't get a notification when batches drop, so you have to log into your myWimbledon account regularly, daily, to catch them. You also get one purchase opportunity per year this way, though you probably won't mind.
The LTA Fan ballot
Say you'd rather keep it simple. There's a way, but it costs a little. The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) governs tennis in the UK, though it doesn't run Wimbledon, that's the All England Lawn Tennis Club. If you become a member, you become eligible for its ballots. There's a "Fan Plus" membership for £20, which gets you into the LTA Fan ballot, plus pre-sale access for other UK tournaments in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Eastbourne, and Ilkley.
Your odds in the Fan ballot are currently better, as fewer people enter this way, but it's still not guaranteed. If you're successful, you're lower priority than LTA officials and volunteers, so you choose from what's left after them. You still get day and court choice, apart from Ground Passes, through a special link to the Wimbledon site. The LTA ballots open in December, and you find out around January or February. (LTA membership)
The Amex sale
If you're an American Express member, you get access to an exclusive first come first served sale through them, plus other perks and discounts once you're on site.
Other ways to get advance tickets
There aren't many other routes without going to greater lengths. Various Wimbledon sponsors and partners offer tickets as prizes in public competitions. The BBC, Robinsons, and Lavazza have all run them over the years, so it's worth following Wimbledon's partners on social media (full list here).
The other option is spending thousands on a Debentures package, which guarantees a ticket every day for five years. I doubt anyone with £80,000 spare is reading this, and it doesn't apply to US citizens anyway. That said, debenture tickets are the only ones that can legally be resold, so corporate investors hold some. It might be your employer, or a friend's employer. Or you find yourself a man in finance, trust fund, six foot five, blue eyes.
The Queue
We've nearly exhausted the ways to show up with a ticket already on your phone. But you can still turn up and buy a ticket of any kind on the day. I've done it, staying in London and travelling over to join the queue. This famous (infamous?) tradition goes back to the days before the internet, with thousands waiting for hours in Wimbledon Park to get into the grounds. We've written a full guide to thriving in the Queue here.
If you want Centre Court, Court One, or Court Two, there are 500 tickets for each available to people who queue. That covers only about 10% of those queuing, so get there before sunrise if you want one, and yes, camping overnight is catered for. If you just want a Ground Pass, you can turn up at almost any time. The queue caps around 10,000 before it becomes one in, one out, so I'd still get there as early as you can, especially since how quickly they let people in varies and you don't want to miss the start of play. Once in, a Ground Pass is only £30 in the first week, giving you access to every court except Centre, One, and Two. You'll still see plenty of the world's best up close, and you'll often find closer, more exciting matches this way.
One last thing
You're now armed with everything I've picked up as an experienced Wimbledon-goer. The ballot is open to anyone, in any country, so if you're wondering whether these tips apply to you, they do. It's a lot of information, so if you really want to go, just start by setting up a myWimbledon account and entering the ballot, it sets you up for everything else. There'll be fans annoyed I've spilled all the secrets, but I reckon there are plenty of tickets to go round.
Good luck, and hope to see you at Wimbledon.
