FACT joined The Queue at Wimbledon in the afternoon — and we were surprised by what happened next.
Completing The Queue at The Wimbledon Championships is no mean feat. We’ve all heard the horror stories, from camping overnight to queuing for a minimum of five hours in all sorts of weather conditions. But I’m letting you in on a not-so-little, well-harboured secret of mine – you don’t actually have to queue. As a Wimbledon local, I’ve only braved The Queue twice, and it’s gone better than I could have ever imagined.
The first time was in 2024, when I visited The Championships on a whim. I had the day off and thought I’d try my luck. I confidently waltzed up to the entrance of The Championships and approached a kind-faced steward, who promptly told me that the wait time was “inordinate”, and that I had absolutely no chance of getting in, and that I should call it quits. My gut told me to try my luck, so I joined The Queue. I entered at around 1.30pm on a Sunday and was shocked to immediately find my way in.
There was no awfully long wait like I had been told. No stories of baking under the sun, tired and aching. I had, in fact, found myself at The Championships for the very first time in my life, without queuing for a single second. The stewards at the ticket desk were just as surprised as I was, claiming The Queue had been very eerily quiet that day.
Cut to the 2026 Championships – I thought I’d try out my previously great tennis juju again. I was more nervous this year due to the seemingly never-ending heatwave London has experienced so far this summer. We walked to The Queue’s entrance, were given our numbered queue cards and joined a small queue this time at around 2pm. Spirits were high, and we were told the wait wouldn’t be too long at all.
Promises were delivered – one short hour passed by and there we were again, inside The Championships once more. We purchased Grounds Passes for £33 each and enjoyed the full Wimbledon tennis experience. Pimm’s was enjoyed, strawberries were consumed and many matches were watched.
Another year, another success. For a hopefully similar journey to mine, I would highly recommend attending The Championships in the second week and joining The Queue from around 2pm onwards on a weekday. You can enjoy a full day of matches, be there for the thrilling Centre Court games at the end, and still have enough time to soak in the summer sporting season vibes on Henman Hill.
To secure tickets for the Wimbledon Championships, you can do so via four main official routes: The Queue, public ballot, official hospitality, or secondary market Debenture Tickets. Wimbledon is well known for being one of the only major sporting events where guests can buy tickets on the day. Approximately, 500 tickets are assigned daily for Centre Court, number one Court and number two Court. The best chance of getting these tickets is to camp overnight in the park.
The strict, non-transferable ticketing system means standard tickets cannot be legally resold on other general ticket websites. These are the guaranteed ways to enter The Championships.
Otherwise, for standard Grounds Passes, you will have to join The Queue anytime from 5am. These passes give you access to all unreserved seating for games on the outer tennis courts and Henman Hill. So, next time you’re thinking of attending The Championships, whether it’s your first time or your fifth, try out my hack and see if it rewards you.
Where: All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5AG
When: 29 June to 12 July 2026
Contact: www.wimbledon.com