Wimbledon 2019: How to queue for ground passes and court tickets

Are you willing to camp overnight for a Centre Court ticket?

Sabrina Barr
Thursday 11 July 2019 13:00 BST
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Wimbledon Championships in numbers

The 2019 Wimbledon Championship is taking place this year from Monday 1 July until Sunday 14 July.

In 2018, more than 473,000 tennis fans attended the tournament at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) in SW19 over the course of 13 days.

This year, thousands of spectators will be vying to get their hands on coveted tickets to watch their favourites battle it out on the grass court.

However, obtaining tickets for the competition takes a lot of commitment, and can involve getting up at an ungodly hour or even camping overnight to join the queue.

So, are you willing to pitch a tent in Wimbledon Park for a chance to see Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic attempt to ace their way to glory?

Here's how to queue for Wimbledon tickets, whether you're after a Ground Pass or have your eyes set on a Centre Court seat:

Where do you queue?

The queue for Wimbledon is located in the middle of Wimbledon Park, in SW19.

The entrance for the queue is situated on Wimbledon Park Road, just off of Woodspring Road.

To get to the entrance, you can take the London Underground to Southfields station, where it's then approximately a 10-minute walk.

Alternatively, there are various car parks dotted close to the queue, some of which are public and some of which are reserved.

To see a map of the Wimbledon queue, click here.

Queuing for a Ground Pass

Queuing for a Wimbledon show court ticket is quite a commitment, one that will require you to camp out in the early hours of the morning or even overnight.

If you don't fancy waking up at the crack of dawn but still fancy going along to the championship, then buying a Ground Pass is your best bet.

The grounds to the AELTC, where Wimbledon is held, open at 10.30am.

So if you want to get your hands on a Ground Pass, the AELTC advises joining the queue a few hours prior to opening.

Of course, entry to the tournament is subject to capacity, so don't turn up at 10am expecting to be let in.

A Ground Pass will grant you access to Murray Mount (or Henman Hill, depending on which name you prefer), in addition to 15 of the 18 championship courts.

Ground Pass tickets vary in price depending on the day, with prices ranging from £8 to £25.

Queuing for a show court ticket

For those wishing to bag a show court ticket when queuing for Wimbledon, reserved tickets are available for Centre Court, No 1 Court and No 2 Court.

If you don't queue overnight, it's unlikely you'll end up with a seat on Centre Court.

A limited number of tickets are released every day of the championship for Centre Court, No 1 Court and No 2 Court, except for the last four days during which tickets for Centre Court are sold in advance.

If you do choose to camp overnight or join the queue in the early hours of the morning, there are some rules you need to adhere to.

Those camping in Wimbledon Park overnight can only use tents with a maximum two-person capacity. Gazebos are strictly not allowed.

At 6am, Wimbledon stewards will wake up those in the queue and tell them to dismantle their camping equipment.

At 7.30am, the stewards will give wristbands to those at the front of the queue for Centre Court, No 1 Court and No 2 Court.

Camping equipment can be left in the Wimbledon Park left luggage facilities from 5.30am for a small fee of £5 for overnight equipment and £1 for any other items.

Tickets for Centre Court range in price from £64 to £225 depending on the day, from £33 to £135 for No 1 Court, and from £40 to £85 for No 2 Court.

When does the queue start moving?

The Wimbledon queue starts moving at 9.30am.

As you queue, you will be issued with a Queue Card which is dated and numbered to indicate your position in the queue.

Spectators will be granted access to the tournament grounds in numerical order, according to their Queue Cards.

You must keep hold of your Queue Card until you've reached the turnstiles, where you'll then be able to buy your ticket for the day.

How do you get a ticket through the ballot?

There was a public ballot for Wimbledon tickets which opened in September and closed in December.

Letters were sent from 18 February informing those who successfully obtained tickets.

According to the AELTC, successful spectators may be contacted about their applications as late as July.

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