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What time should I join the Wimbledon Queue?

Midday the day before for Centre Court, 5-6am for a grounds pass

The Queue is one of Wimbledon's real, functioning traditions — an organised, friendly overnight line for day tickets, run by the club itself, not an informal scramble. How early you need to arrive depends entirely on what you're queuing for.

When to arrive

For Centre Court

Join by midday the day before and camp overnight. Queue cards are issued from mid-afternoon, one per person present — the whole party needs to be there to be counted.

For a grounds pass

Arriving by 5-6am on the morning is usually enough — the line moves steadily once gates open at 10:30am.

The Wimbledon Queue

The Wimbledon Queue

How to join the overnight queue for Centre Court day tickets — and why the wait on Church Road is half the point

Most sporting events have been optimised for convenience. Pre-book, scan a code, find your seat. The friction — the uncertainty, the waiting, the physical effort of getting there — has been engineered away.

SW19, Wimbledon

Worth knowing

  • —Join the Queue by the previous afternoon at the latest for a reliable Centre Court spot — the official guidance says before midday the day before. Exact timing varies hugely by year and day; follow @TheWimbledonQ on X for live queue length updates before you decide when to leave home.
  • —Gate 3 is the fastest route to Centre Court once gates open at 10:30am — day tickets themselves are released to queuers earlier, at 9:30am. Most people in the Queue don't know this.
  • —Your Queue Card holds your spot for up to 30 minutes if you need to step away — keep it on you at all times.
  • —Drop overnight kit at the Club's bag storage facility in the morning (a few pounds) and walk in hands-free. Don't carry a rucksack around the grounds all day.
  • —Bring a portable charger. 8+ hours on a pavement will kill your phone and there are no second chances.
  • —Rainy forecast = shorter queue. Bad weather keeps a portion of regulars at home. Don't let it keep you at home too.
  • —Tuesday or Wednesday of Week 1 is the best entry point for first-timers — the draw is full, you get multiple matches, and the overnight queue is typically more manageable than the opening Monday.
  • —Bring a real tent, not a gazebo — the Club's Guide to Queueing caps tents at 2-person capacity and gazebos aren't allowed at all. No fires or barbecues in the line either.

Gates open at 10:30am daily

Day tickets are released to queuers at 9:30am, ahead of the 10:30am gate opening. Bring layers, a waterproof, and something to sit on — the wait is real regardless of how well-organised the line is.

Source: wimbledon.com, AELTC published Queue guidance and gate times.