A visit to Wimbledon fortnight is, for many of us, a highlight of the British sporting summer, along with the Open and the British Grand Prix.
Most of the tickets for the Show Courts, of course, have long since been sold – that is, if they were ever on sale in the first place, as so many go to sponsors and guests.
Every year since 1924 there’s been a public ballot for advance tickets, as demand for tickets way outstrips supply around four times over. Even if you get a ticket, you can’t request the date or court – you have to accept what you’re given.
Read on for our five top tips for a money-saving day at SW19!
- There are a limited number of tickets for Centre, no 1 and no 2 courts available on the main gate on the day itself – however, to be able to snap those up you’d have to get up very, very early indeed and join the famous Wimbledon queue. If you do want to queue for Centre Court tickets, they’re cheapest at the start of the tournament at £53. A few hundred tickets for Centre Court and no 3 court are available online on the day itself here but tend to get snapped up in seconds.
- A ground ticket however is less than half the price, during the first week, and can be a real bargain as (weather permitting) you’re very likely to see many of the big names on courts three and below - as they’ll be forced to play earlier rounds and doubles matches on the outside courts – for just £25 for the whole day – no change from last year’s price.
- It’s even cheaper in week two – as little as £15 towards the end of the week – when there are still many doubles matches, and also the stars of the future, playing on outside courts. Not to mention being able to drink in the atmosphere at what was once known as ‘Henman Hill’, as Andy Murray plays just the other side of the big screen, at no extra cost.
- In fact, to get general admission to the outside courts (3 to 19) throughout the tournament, you have to queue – no advance tickets there. You could argue it’s the fairest, most democratic method of all – no frantic redialling at 9am or such like, just setting the alarm clock early to do some good old-fashioned queuing. I’ve done it many a time and can confirm that once you’ve got over the actual getting there and groaning at how many streets you’ve had to walk round to get to the back of the queue, it’s all worth it and you get in on time!
- And if you enter the gates after 5pm (which you’d probably have to, even if you join the queue by midday), when many of the most nail-biting games are played, it’s cheaper still. Also, a significant number of Show Court tickets become available for resale for £10 (at official kiosks inside the grounds only) from 3pm onwards, as people leave early.
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