Just In: Wimbledon Ballot Is Officially Open as Organisers Risk Huge Backlash After Ticket Prices Are Hiked to £400
The Wimbledon ballot is officially open, and tennis fans have just a few days to sign up for the chance to buy tickets to next year’s Championships before it closes on September 14. But some might be shocked by the prices. A seat in the front 20 rows of Centre Court for the men’s and women’s singles finals now costs a staggering £400 – £50 more than they did this year, and more than double what they cost in 2017.
Top-end tickets to first-round matches on Centre Court and No.1 Court also now cost over £100, though the grounds pass sits at £35 for the first eight days. The All England Club has noted that this remains a “very competitive price” for a live sporting event and has confirmed that the increases were more significant for premium tickets.
In recent years, tickets on the two main showcourts have been split into three categories, effectively offering premium, intermediate, and cheaper options. The first 20 rows of Centre Court are the most expensive, followed by the next six rows and the back six rows. The No.1 Court follows a similar system: the first 17 rows cost the most, followed by the next six rows, and then the last six rows. It is these front rows which have seen the biggest hikes.
Sitting in rows A-T on Centre Court on finals weekend in 2027 will set you back £400. Rows U-Z cost £325, and ZA-ZF come in at £255. A decade earlier, in 2017, it cost £155 to sit on Centre for the ladies’ singles final, and £190 for the gentlemen’s singles final. As of 2022, the All England Club has charged the same price for both the men’s and women’s singles finals.
Centre Court tickets get more expensive as the tournament goes on. A seat on days one and two of the 2027 Championships costs between £85 and £130, going up to £130 to £200 by the first Saturday of the event. Semi-finals tickets in the first 20 rows are £345.
No.1 Court tickets for days one and two cost between £75 and £115. Prices on Wimbledon’s second-biggest stage peak at £270 on the second Tuesday and Wednesday – the two quarter-finals days. A Court 2 ticket on day one is now priced at £60, and seats peak at £110 on the two round-of-16 days.
Grounds passes for the first eight days have had a small £2 increase for 2027. This drops to £27 for days nine to 11, and to £22 for days 12 to 14. A decade ago, in 2017, ground passes cost £8 to £25, depending on the day.
Addressing the 2027 prices, an All England Club spokesperson said: “We want to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience a day at Wimbledon and that is why very careful consideration is given when setting ticket prices for The Championships.
“For 2027, the greatest price increases have been applied to premium seats on Centre Court and No.1 Court. Grounds Passes are priced at £35 for the first Monday, reducing to £22 for the second Sunday, which we believe is a very competitive price point for a professional sporting event of Wimbledon’s stature. We have chosen not to introduce a booking fee to our ticketing operation and continue to allow guests to bring their own food and drink on-site.”
While Wimbledon ticket prices continue to rise each year, it remains one of the more accessible and affordable Grand Slam tournaments, especially compared to the US Open. Wimbledon’s queue allows fans to line up, sometimes overnight, to buy a ticket, rather than competing with thousands of others online. And it is understood that most tickets available to the public are in areas where price increases are the lowest.
Grounds passes at this year’s US Open have gone for over £220 ($300), while resale tickets can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the schedule. With the exception of debentures, Wimbledon tickets are non-transferable, meaning fans aren’t hit by crazy resale prices.
