Discover Wembley Arena London with our complete visitor guide. Learn about its rich history, venue details, and tips for your next concert!
TL;DR: Wembley Arena London, now known as OVO Arena Wembley, is Greater London’s second-largest indoor venue with a rich history dating back to 1934. It hosts over 120 diverse events annually, drawing more than one million visitors, and features a unique architectural design that offers unobstructed views for all attendees. The arena is easily accessible via Wembley Park station and offers nearby dining options, but visitors should plan post-event travel carefully due to congestion.
TL;DR:
OVO Arena Wembley, the official name for what most people still call Wembley Arena London, is Greater London’s second-largest indoor arena with a capacity of 12,500 visitors and a Grade II listed status that protects one of the capital’s most distinctive concert venues. Built in 1934, it hosts over 120 shows annually and draws more than one million visitors each year. Whether you are attending your first concert here or planning a return visit, this guide covers everything from the arena’s architectural history to the best way home after the show.
The arena began life as the Empire Pool, built in 1934 to host swimming events at the British Empire Games. Sir Owen Williams designed the structure using a cantilever roof that eliminated internal support pillars entirely. That single decision gave every seat in the house an unobstructed view of the stage, a quality that remains rare in venues of similar size even today.
The building’s Grade II listed status means its iconic concrete arches are legally protected. Renovations must work around the original structure rather than replace it. A £35 million renovation completed in 2006 modernised the visitor experience while preserving the shell that makes the venue architecturally significant.
The arena has carried several names over the decades:
Pro Tip: When searching for tickets or transport directions, use “OVO Arena Wembley” rather than the older names. Sat-nav systems and transport apps now list the venue under its current title, and using an outdated name can return incorrect results.
The venue’s history stretches well beyond pop concerts. It has hosted Olympic swimming, live music, and esports , demonstrating a flexibility that few buildings of its age can match. That adaptability is built into the original design, not retrofitted.
OVO Arena Wembley hosts over 120 shows annually, covering concerts, comedy nights, sporting events, and family entertainment. The capacity adjusts between standing and seated configurations, reaching a maximum of 12,500. That flexibility makes it suitable for everything from an intimate comedy gig to a full arena rock tour.
The venue sits in a different category from the neighbouring Wembley Stadium, which holds 90,000 spectators and focuses on football and the largest touring acts. OVO Arena Wembley is the preferred indoor venue for artists who want a significant crowd without losing the connection that comes with a smaller space. The difference in atmosphere between the two venues is considerable, and most regular concert-goers will tell you the arena feels far more personal.
The event programme typically includes:
The arena’s single-level hall and balcony layout sets it apart from modern bowl arenas. Because the building was originally a swimming pool, the floor is flat and wide rather than raked in a bowl shape. This creates an atmosphere closer to a traditional concert hall, where the crowd feels gathered around the performance rather than stacked above it.
The most direct route is the London Underground to Wembley Park station on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, which sits two minutes’ walk from the venue entrance. From central London, journey times via the Jubilee line run between 12 and 18 minutes depending on your starting point. Baker Street, Bond Street, and Green Park all connect directly without a change.
Getting there is straightforward. Getting home requires more planning.
Pro Tip: The arena and Wembley Stadium share the same approach road via Olympic Way. If you are attending an event at the arena, check your ticket carefully before you travel. The two venues are separate, and arriving at the wrong one on a sold-out night is a costly mistake.
Traffic and crowd management on event nights is particularly demanding because both venues can operate simultaneously. Experienced visitors often build an extra 30 minutes into their post-event travel plan as a matter of habit.
OVO Arena Wembley sits within the Wembley Park estate, which offers more than 50 restaurants, bars, and attractions within a five-minute walk. That density of options makes pre-show dining straightforward, with everything from casual street food to sit-down restaurants available without needing to travel into central London first.
The arena layout itself features floor-level standing or seating and a balcony tier above. The balcony offers elevated views across the full stage, while floor positions put you closest to the performance. Neither option involves a poor sightline, which is the direct result of Sir Owen Williams’ original cantilever design. For those interested in how architectural visualisation captures structures like this, the arena’s concrete arches remain a textbook example of functional elegance.
| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Floor (standing) | Closest to the stage; best for high-energy shows |
| Floor (seated) | Flat layout; good central views across the performance |
| Balcony | Elevated angle; full stage visible; slightly more relaxed atmosphere |
| Wembley Park estate | Restaurants, bars, and retail within five minutes on foot |
| Ticket platform | Official tickets sold exclusively through AXS |
Official tickets are sold through the AXS platform. Buying from resale sites carries a risk of invalid tickets, particularly for high-demand events. The venue recommends purchasing directly through AXS or authorised partners to guarantee entry.
For visitors planning a full evening out, the Wembley Park area has expanded considerably over the past decade. The London Designer Outlet sits adjacent to the estate and offers additional dining and retail options. Pre-booking a restaurant table on event nights is advisable, as walk-in availability drops sharply once doors open.
OVO Arena Wembley is Greater London’s most historically significant indoor concert venue, combining a Grade II listed cantilever structure with a 12,500-capacity programme of over 120 annual events.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Capacity and scale | The arena holds up to 12,500 and attracts over one million visitors each year. |
| Architectural distinction | Sir Owen Williams’ cantilever roof eliminates pillars, giving every seat an unobstructed view. |
| Best transport option | Wembley Park station on the Jubilee line is two minutes’ walk and 12–18 minutes from central London. |
| Post-event planning | Leave slightly early or use Wembley Central as an alternative to avoid platform congestion. |
| Ticket purchasing | Buy only through AXS or authorised partners to guarantee valid entry. |
I have been to a lot of arenas across the UK, and most modern ones feel interchangeable. The bowl design, the corporate concourses, the identical sightlines from every tier. OVO Arena Wembley does not feel like that. The moment you walk in, the building tells you it was built for something else entirely, and that history gives it a character that newer venues simply cannot manufacture.
The flat floor and balcony layout genuinely changes how a crowd behaves. People gather rather than stack. The energy at floor level during a sold-out show feels more concentrated than in a traditional bowl, and the balcony gives you a proper overview rather than a vertiginous perch above the action.
My strongest practical advice is this: do not underestimate the post-event transport situation. I have seen first-time visitors spend 45 minutes on the platform at Wembley Park when a ten-minute walk to Wembley Central would have put them on a train immediately. The arena itself is well run and the estate around it has improved dramatically. The pinch point is always the journey home.
The confusion between the arena and the stadium is also real. I have spoken to people who walked the full length of Olympic Way before realising they were heading to the wrong venue. Check the name on your ticket before you leave home, not when you arrive.
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— Jigsaw
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The venue’s official name is OVO Arena Wembley, following a naming rights deal with OVO Energy in 2022. It was previously known as the Empire Pool, Wembley Arena, and SSE Arena.
OVO Arena Wembley holds up to 12,500 people, with capacity adjusted depending on whether the configuration is standing or seated.
Wembley Park station on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines is the closest, sitting approximately two minutes’ walk from the venue entrance.
No. The two are separate venues sharing the same general approach via Olympic Way. Wembley Stadium holds 90,000 and hosts football and large outdoor events. OVO Arena Wembley is an indoor arena with a maximum capacity of 12,500.
Official tickets are sold through the AXS platform. Purchasing through AXS or authorised partners is the only way to guarantee a valid ticket for entry.