Wembley Stadium: capacity, size, events, tickets and legacy

Wembley Stadium, often considered as the home of English football is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. The iconic venue is home to the English National teams, both men and women. It also hosts the crucial cup finals and the season opener for the Football Association in England. Wembley’s influence goes way beyond football as it hosts multiple sports and even music concerts from time to time.

In its glorious 100-plus-year history, the stadium has seen many incredible highs and some painful lows. Let us discover everything there is to be known about Wembley Stadium today.

Introduction

Overview of Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium located in the Wembley area of London is the home of the English national teams. The stadium owned by the Football Association also hosts multiple crucial football games in a season. Apart from football, it also hosts other sports like Rugby, American Football, and Wrestling. The venue also has various musical concerts taking place regularly.

Wembley Stadium has two distinct chapters in its glorious past. The Old Wembley Stadium originally known as the Empire Stadium was built in 1923 and was the English mecca of football till 2000. At the turn of the millennium, plans were made to develop a new stadium by demolishing the existing structure. The new Wembley Stadium along with the famous Wembley Arch were opened in 2007.

Importance in Football History

The stadium was built very prestigiously in 1922. It was built in less than a year and was ready to host its first event in 1923. The FA Cup final of 1923 drew nearly 300,000 crowd as the crowd was eager to witness the new marvel. Ever since then, the stadium started hosting every FA Cup final. It became the home of the English National Team.

The FA wanted the Empire Stadium to be the face of English football. The ground hosted the Summer Olympics in 1948. Its legacy was immortalized as England hosted and won the World Cup in 1966. After hosting multiple European Cup finals, it also hosted the UEFA Euros in 1996.

After the stadium was demolished and renovated, Birmingham and Coventry wanted to host the English national team. But keeping the legacy of the stadium in mind, the FA waited till 2007 and announced that the new Wembley Stadium would continue being the home of English football.

The Old Wembley Stadium

History of the Original Wembley Stadium (1923-2000)

London was gearing up for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924-25. There were grand-scale plans for the redevelopment of Humphry Repton’s Wembley Park. The organizers of the Expo wanted a football stadium in Wembley Park as the park used to host football games since the early 1880s.

After breaking the ground in 1922, the stadium was opened to the public on 28^th April 1923. King George V cut the first turf at the stadium.  The stadium cost a whopping £750,000 back in the day and was known as the “British Empire Exhibition Stadium”. Later it was just simplified to the “Exhibition Stadium”.

The plan was to demolish the stadium at the end of the Exhibition. But Sir James Stevenson, the chairman of the organizing committee of the Empire Exhibition wanted to save it. The stadium’s ownership changed multiple hands before Arthur Elvin established ‘Wembley Stadium and Greyhound Racecourse Company’ to take control of the stadium.

The first event at the Empire Stadium took place in 1923. It was the FA Cup final between West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers called the White Horse Final. The FA organized the event as a non-ticketed one and to their shock, crowds started flocking in from all 104 gates on the match day.

The appeal of the new stadium and the desire to catch the free action brought around 300,000 people to the stadium. The terraces overflowed with crowd and the official capacity of 127,000 was easily overwhelmed.

The game was at risk of getting called off until Police Constable George Scorey mounted his white horse Billy controlled the crowd expertly. It was in their honour that the game was called the White Horse Final. David Jack scored the first-ever goal at Wembley Stadium as Bolton won the game 2-0.

The stadium then became the home for all the FA Cup finals. Multiple FA Amateur Cup and League Cup finals were held there as well. The Football League promotion play-off finals too found a place at the Empire Stadium. European Cup finals too became a regular fixture at the venue.

The English national team adopted the ground as its home and played Scotland there till 1950. In 1951, they faced a non-Scottish in Argentina for the first time at Wembley Stadium. It then became the venue of all home matches of the English squad for the Olympics and other qualifications.

The lore of the stadium grew further when England lifted their only World Cup to date in 1966 at the Wembley Stadium. In 1996, England lost the home Euros in the semis to the eventual champions Germany in penalty shootouts.

Apart from the iconic football games, the stadium also hosted rugby finals, wrestling and boxing events various athletic events of the 1948 Summer Olympics, and various musical concerts. Famous artists like Michael Jackson and Elton John and bands like Queen performed too. The Live Aid of 1985 was a historic charity event and drew an audience like never before.

The stadium was closed in October 2000 for redevelopment as the FA sought a modern stadium to be the face of the English game. They decided to demolish the old Wembley Stadium and build a new one in the same place to protect its legacy. The stadium was completely demolished in 2003 and paved the way for the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.

Location and Design of the Old Wembley Stadium

Humphry Repton, the last great designer of the classic English garden scape designed Wembley Park with iconic landmarks. The park had provisions for playing football as well as various sites for entertainment. When the plan to build a football stadium was devised for the British Empire Exhibition, Watkin’s Tower was picked as the location. The folly was torn down and the groundbreaking was done in 1922.

Sir Robert McAlpine was the builder of the structure with Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayton as Architects and Sir Owen Williams as the the head engineer. They built the stadium for multi-purpose as it also had the provision to host Athletics and other events.

They built the iconic Twin Towers on the exact site of Watkin’s Tower to honour it. The Twin Towers became the identity of the Wembley Stadium. The 39-step climb to reach the Royal Box to collect the winners’/losers’ medals and the trophy too became quite famous.

Iconic Football Events at the Old Wembley

The first game at the Empire Stadium did certainly become an iconic clash as it was called the White Horse Final. They became quite the norm as England’s national team called the stadium their home. They faced Scotland multiple times before meeting Argentina for the first time in 1951.

The stadium also hosted the 1948 Summer Olympics. Apart from Football, a few athletic events took place too.

The first European Cup final was held in 1963 as Milan beat Benfica to the title. Multiple finals were held at Wembley Stadium again in 1968,1971,1978 and 1992.

The World Cup held in England in 1966 was the showpiece of Wembley Stadium. It hosted 9 games including the legendary final between West Germany and England. A Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst’s hattrick in the final gave them a 4-2 victory over their opponents in the extra time. The Queen presented the Rimet Trophy to Bobby Moore in the Royal Box.

The Brazilian legend Pele called Wembley Stadium the cathedral and home of football owing to its location in the center of the world.

Wembley Stadium then hosted a special friendly to celebrate the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community.

England faced severe heartbreak then at the Wembley Stadium as they lost the semis of the 1992 Euros to Germany. 

The New Wembley Stadium

Construction and Opening of the New Wembley (2007)

As the FA wanted a modern state-of-the-art stadium for the England national team, they made plans to renovate the Empire Stadium. A new stadium would be built in its place and go on to become the new Wembley Park.  As the old Wembley Stadium was closed in 2000, the new stadium was to be completed in 2003.

However, the process faced multiple financial and legal difficulties as the demolition of the old stadium itself was completed in 2003. Once they were cleared up, the groundbreaking was done. It was a mega project that cost £789 million at the time of opening. It had collaborations between multiple firms and a lot of changing of hands took place between the partners as well.

HOK Sport, Foster, and Partners were the Architects with Capita Property and Infrastructure acting as the Project Manager. Mott Stadium Consortium and Jimmy Higham were the Structural Engineers and Multiplex were hired as the General Contractors.  

The ambitious plan for the Wembley Arch and various modern amenities resulted in multiple delays in the construction. After all the issues were sorted, the stadium was handed over to the FA on 9^th March 2007.

The Wembley Stadium officially opened on 19^th May 2007 as Manchester United took on Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.

Features of the New Wembley Stadium

The New Wembley Stadium is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built in the world. The stadium is designed in the shape of a bowl. The stadium has multiple eye-catching features. None bigger and better than the famous Wembley Arch.

The signature feature is a circular lattice arch of 7m internal diameter with a 315m span. It supports the weight of the north roof as well as the retractable roof and is the world’s longest unsupported roof structure.

The roof is visible from some miles away and became a distinctive feature of the New Wembley Stadium. The illuminated view of the stadium is eye-catching from a far distance. The stadium also has a retractable roof that can be completely closed to protect the stadium from nature’s elements.

The stadium has a circumference of 1km and is quite easily accessible from multiple sides thanks to its seamless entry and exit gates. It is fitted with help signs and volunteers to assist the fans at all stages. The stadium is fully digital and is quite accessible to everyone.

It holds the record for having the highest number of toilets in a sports venue. The stadium has multiple scoreboards that make viewing easy for everyone in the stadium.

The pitch of the stadium is unique and since 2023 they have been using a carpet lay-and-play system. This makes the preparation of the surface easier for multiple sports like football, rugby and American football.

New Wembley Stadium Capacity and Field Size

The New Wembley Stadium has a capacity of 90,000 approved by the FA. It is the largest roof-covered seating stadium in the world. The Wembley Stadium is the largest in England by capacity and second to Camp Nou in Europe.

However, various capacities for various sports can be inferred as non-football events have different rules. For music concerts, a varying seated capacity between 75,000 and 90,000 is allotted. A further 25,000 standing crowds are allowed.

It falls under the Category 4 UEFA Stadium and is approved of 87,000 capacity. For American Football, the maximum crowd is capped at 86,000.

Wembley’s pitch is traditionally known as being longer and wider than the other pitches in the country. The New Wembley Stadium has a length-to-breadth aspect of 115 yards (105m) to 75 yards (69m). These dimensions are slightly smaller than the old Wembley ones.

Key Football Events at Wembley

FA Cup Finals and Domestic Competitions

The first-ever game at the Old Wembley Stadium was an iconic one. The White Horse final (see above) became the highest-attended event in the venue’s history. In 1953, the Matthews Final caught the eyes of the nation. Blackpool’s winger Stanley Matthews scored an ultimate hattrick at 38 years of age to hand his side an unlikely 4-3 victory over Bolton Wanderers after being 1-3 down.

Chelsea created history in 2007 when they became the first FA Cup winners at the New Wembley Stadium as well as being the last FA Cup winners at the old Wembley Stadium. The stadium is home to multiple cup finals held by the FA across various levels. The FA Cup final and the EFL Carabao Cup finals always take the top place in domestic competitions.

The biggest clash after those games is the promotion play-off for the EFL Championship. The game dubbed as the richest game in world football, pits the playoff finalists in a single game for the promotion to the Premier League. That game has produced some iconic moments. The game between Charlton Athletic and Sunderland in 1998 is hailed as the best play-off final as the teams were separated only after a lengthy penalty shootout after scoring 4 each in 120 minutes.

Wembley Stadium was the home of Tottenham Hotspurs in 2018 when their White-Hart Lane was undergoing renovation. Arsenal too used the ground for their Champions League fixtures at times.

England National Team Matches, World Cup Games and UEFA Euro Games

The English national team used to play their home games in other venues till the Old Wembley Stadium was built. Once it was in use, they called it their home. After multiple meetings with Scotland, they welcomed Argentina in 1951.

They used the venue as their home base for Olympic and Euro qualifiers. In 1966, the team enjoyed its best-ever World Cup campaign by lifting the trophy in front of the 100,000-strong old Wembley crowd.

Similar success couldn’t bless them in 1996 when Gareth Southgate missed his penalty as they were knocked out in the semis by Germany.

After a long hiatus, the international games returned to the New Wembley Stadium as it hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics. Great Britain’s teams both men and women won their group-stage games before being eliminated.

England were whiskers away from a UEFA Euro triumph at home in 2020. They won multiple games at the New Wembley Stadium and were the overwhelming favourites going into the finals against Italy.

However, the Three Lions suffered a heartbreak as they missed three penalties in a row to lose the game in front of a 67,000 home crowd.

In 2022, the England Women’s National Team tasted sweet success as they lifted the UEFA Women’s Euro after beating Germany 2-1 in the extra time.

UEFA Champions League and International Tournaments

Old Wembley Stadium first held the European Cup final in 1963. AC Milan emerged as the winner for the first time in England. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English side to win a European final at Wembley as they beat Benfica 4-1. Wembley hosted three more finals in 1971,1978 and 1992 as well. It also held a few Cup Winners’ Cup finals as well.

The New Wembley Stadium hosted three Champions League finals starting from 2011. Barcelona triumphed against Manchester United. Borussia Dortmund were on the wrong side of the line in two other Champions League Finals 11 years apart. Rivals Bayern Munich won 2-1 narrowly in 2013 and Real Madrid beat them well in 2024.

The stadium did host other Champions League group stage games and knockout games when Arsenal and Tottenham Hotpurs used it as their temporary homes.

Wembley Stadium Capacity and Size

Capacities of Old and New Wembley Stadium compared

The Old Wembley Stadium was a gigantic stadium when it came to capacity. Since there was no restriction on sitting crowds and standing crowds, the capacities were quite huge back then. A record 123,000 attended the first official match at the stadium.

However, after the Hillsborough disaster, all forms of standing crowds were discouraged. Only seating capacity allowed and it was somewhere close to 100,000.

The New Wembley Stadium was built with keeping all the security standards in mind. Hence the size was lesser than that of the old one. The maximum crowd that could be seated at the venue according to the FA is 90,000. As specified above, for non-footballing events, exemptions have been made.

Field Dimensions and Layout for Football

The Wembley pitch is considerably bigger and wider than the other pitches in the country. The old Webley Stadium had dimensions of 118 yards by 78 yards. The New Wembley Stadium was scaled down and has dimensions of 115 yds by 75 yds.

Tickets and Pricing

How to buy Wembley Stadium Tickets

The tickets for any event at Wembley Stadium would be on sale on the official site of the stadium. The website is the only official place to buy the tickets.

Of course, a few reselling sites like StubHub and Viagogo are available for last-minute sales. But the potential for scammers is always there.

Overview of Wembley Ticket Prices

The ticket prices at Wembley Stadium vary from event to event. For England’s games, the prices might start from as low as £12 for kids to £100 for adults. The hospitality packages are on the pricey end and may rise to £500.

For concerts and other events, the price depends on the artist and usually starts from three figures. The best seats in the house easily go to four-digit figures.

Ticket Categories and Accessibility Options

The general admission seats are sold event by event and a minimum of 70,000 tickets for any event can be expected to be set aside under this. The remaining seats are distributed evenly between the hospitality packages and sponsors.

The stadium was built to be as exclusive as possible for everyone. It offers a disabled access shuttle for disabled persons to reach the stadium. The stadium is wheelchair friendly and chaperones are available to help around the stadium. A lot of accessible toilets are at the venue too making it an easy experience for everyone.

Visiting Wembley Stadium

Tips for Attending Football Matches

Arrive early at the stadium to experience a hassle-free entry. Volunteers will be available at every turn to guide the visitors.

For obvious reasons, hazardous objects are not allowed into the stadium.

Guided Tours: Exploring Wembley’s Football Legacy

Wembley Stadium offers a football tour for tourists. This presents them with a golden chance to walk around the iconic stadium. This 90-minute tour comes with a guide who explains the origins of the famous points and gives an in-depth explanation of the venue.

It also gives free access to the trophy room. The guests chasing adrenaline can get a chance to get up close to the Wembley Arch as the expedition is available at an extra cost.

The Wembley Stadium tour costs £25 for an adult for a general experience. The VIP experience would cost £75 per person. Children however can avail of a discounted price for these tours.

The Matchday experience are usually expensive. The matchday experience costs £200 per head and the Community Shield matchday experience would set you back by £150 whereas the England women’s team games experience would cost £130.

Nearby Attractions for Football Fans

Wembley Park is quite close to the Wembley Stadium and can be easily accessed. Other attractions include Barham Park, Houdini’s escape room, Bubble Planet, OVO Arena and London Designer Outlet.

Wembley Stadium Events Beyond Football

Concerts and Multi-Sport Events

Wembley Stadium was always built to be a multi-sport auditorium. Football was the heart and soul of the ground but it also had a place for other events. The Old Wembley Stadium saw legends like Fanny Blankers-Koen and Emil Zatopek win athletic medals at the Summer Olympics in 1948. It also hosted hocket and equestrian competitions in the games.

Similarly in 2012, the new Wembley Park played host to multiple events in the Olympics. Rugby is an event that always has a special place in the stadium.

• The Rugby Football League held its Challenge Cup Final at the Wembley Stadium in 1929. The stadium also hosted the Great Britain rugby team as it took on Australia and France. The sport also used to draw huge crowds. The event again returned to Wembley in 2007 with the Challenge Cup finals resuming. The ground hosted the semis of the Rugby League World Cup in 2013 and was one of the venues for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

• The Speedway Championship was also held at Old Wembley as the Motorcycle Speedway first took place in 1929. Lionel Van Praag, Jack Milne, Ivan Mauger and Ove Fundin lifted the coveted title multiple times.

• The National Football League of American Football started touring the United Kingdom for pre-season and held a few games at Wembley between 1983 and 1993. In 2007, the NFL Regular Season took place at the Wembley Stadium for the first time in history. Multiple teams made deals with the stadium to host some games. Jacksonville Jaguars used to host two games a season till 2024 and recorded the highest attendance of 86,651 for an NFL game.

• Gaelic Football and Greyhound racing were also held at Wembley Stadium along with Field Hockey.

• Wembley Stadium often held special boxing and wrestling events. In 1963, Old Wembley Stadium hosted a heavyweight boxing match between London’s Henry Cooper and American icon Muhammad Ali. A British post-war attendance record of 80,000 was set up when Carl Froch took on George Groves in 2014.

• The World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) recorded a recorded 80,355 crowd for the SummerSlam held in 1992. The event returned to Wembley again in the form of All Elite Wrestling in 2023. The event will come back in 2026 again.

• Wembley Stadium has a rich history of hosting musical concerts. For the first time in 1972, it hosted the London Rock and Roll Show and became a regular host ever since. The British leg of Live Aid in 1985 had performances from David Bowie, Queen, Elton John and Phil Collins.

• Pop icon Michael Jackson performed 15 times at Wembley Stadium and drew a combined total of 504,000 crowd earning a Guinness World Record in 1988 during the Bad World Tour. George Michael performed for the first time at the new stadium.

• Beyonce drew record crowds in 2016 but it was Adele who set up the record again with 98,000 audience for the “The Finale” tour. Recent sensations like BTS, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Dua Lipa always perform at Wembley Stadium.

• The stadium is set to host the special reunion of the popular band Oasis in July 2025. Apart from concerts, the stadium also hosts daredevil events.

Transition Between Football and Other Events

The stadium always transitioned between football and other events easily. Since it was not home to any football club, the stadium was available around the year. Whenever the English national team wasn’t playing, it was used for hosting other events.

The New Wembley Stadium was built and the pitch was made to make the transition even easier. Only in 2012 during the Summer Olympics, a few concerts were not allowed. But afterward, it was negotiated smoothly.

When Tottenham Hotspurs used the stadium as their home, they played a Champions League just a day after the ground hosted an NFL clash between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles. The pitch had the NFL logo markings due to the short turnaround between the games but it was fine to be played on. Such is the ease of the new Wembley Stadium,

The Legacy of Wembley Stadium

Old Wembley’s Historical Significance in Football

Old Wembley Stadium holds a special place in the hearts of English people. The iconic stadium played host as the nation won their only World Cup to date. Their run in that World Cup campaign was historic and many greats of the game graced the iconic stadium.

They were all star-struck by the venue. The stadium was famous for its atmosphere and provided the home players with a spring in their step to take on their opponents. Apart from the wins and losses, they felt it was always memorable to play there.

New Wembley’s Role in Modern Football Culture

The New Wembley Stadium played a key role in taking the game global. It became a landmark and an aspiration for every young and budding footballer to play there. The FA Cup semifinals give a chance for many teams to play at Wembley and that in itself is a bigger reward than any title for lower league sides.

The stadium when it comes to trophy haul has been bittersweet for England. The men’s team faced heartbreak in the Euros final but the women’s team enjoyed success in 2022.

Future Prospects for Football and Other Events

The stadium continues to be the home of English football. From hosting the first game of the season to hosting the last game, its importance in the English football calendar can not be overstated. It continues to be a key venue whenever England is in the running for hosting any tournament.

Apart from football, the stadium is set to host many concerts in the future along with wrestling events in 2025. The famous pop stars want to make their mark on the iconic venue.

Conclusion

Why Wembley Stadium is “The Home of Football”

England invented football and are often called the founders of the game. Naturally, the venue they call home will become the home of football. Wembley Stadium in that regard has become the home of football. The stadium with over 100 years of history has seen many legends grace the pitch and lift iconic titles. Many youngsters want to repeat the same at the home of football.