Game, set and cash: How much will it cost you to go to Wimbledon?

Irish Times

5 hours ago

If you watched that iconic French Open final recently between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – or at least some of its five hours and 29 minutes – you may be in the mood for more tennis.
Thankfully, then, Wimbledon is calling. Its famed lawns are set to welcome the stars of the sport on the 30th of this month.
More than 30 years after seeing (on television) Andre Agassi win his only Wimbledon singles title and becoming hooked on the sport, this year I will finally – hopefully – make it to the hallowed grounds of SW19.
I won't be the only one trekking across the Irish Sea; Wimbledon organisers say Ireland is one of the leading international markets seeking tickets for the tennis fortnight this year.
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But while it is claimed that the price for a portion of the famed strawberries and cream at the event has remained the same since 2010, at just £2.50 (€3), the cost of watching the tennis continues to climb.
So if you, like me, are keen to attend but wish to do so without breaking the bank, here are some options to consider.And while it might be too late to get there this time, there's always next year!
The ballot
This is the route that many take to get tickets. To be in with a chance for the draw, you must sign up around September, with offers sent out in October. Only one application for a maximum of two tickets per account, per email address and per household is accepted. And you must use one of the tickets yourself.
Prices at this stage of the process range from just £30 for a grounds pass and £75 for a 'cheap seat' on Centre Court on day one of the tournament to £315 for a Centre Court seat on either the men's or ladies' final day.
Buying a debenture seat, for either Centre Court or Court No 1, gives you a premium seat for life, provided you're prepared to stump up the cash
While these prices have increased in recent years – back in 2021, for example, tickets for finals day were £240 – they remain significantly cheaper than many other options, as you will see below.
If you have a UK address, you could also consider applying for the Lawn Tennis Association ballot – it will cost about £25 to become a member.
Resale
This is where I struck gold this year (or at least a kind colleague did!). Once you have entered the ballot, you are sent an email when the resale opens – typically about 100 days before the tournament.
For example, on a recent day in May, there were two tickets available (rows U-Z) for Centre Court on Tuesday, day nine, for £220 each.
Beware, however, that tickets sell out at lightning speed on the site, and it is difficult to be the one who gets them. So be prepared to spend a lot of time refreshing the resale page if you are keen to get tickets via this process.
The queue
For many, the famed queue is as much a part of the 14-day tournament as Henman Hill/Murray Mound or the plaque commemorating the longest ever Wimbledon match (John Isner against Nicolas Mahut back in 2010) on Court No 18.
This opens each day, and gives you the chance of getting a show court or a grounds pass ticket. Some people pitch tent overnight to give themselves the best chance – and is part of the experience for many.
If you get lucky in the queue, you will pay regular retail prices for your tickets.
Resale on the day
Once you're in the gate, remember you have the possibility of upgrading your ticket. This year, there will be an on-site resale kiosk adjacent to Court No 1. If you have a grounds pass, you can apply for a Centre Court or Court No 1 ticket via the Wimbledon app. You will be sent a message and, if successful, can then head to the kiosk to buy your ticket. These are based on returns from show courts on the day, and come at a very attractive additional cost of £15 for Centre Court and £10 for Court No 1.
Debentures
For those for whom cost is not an issue, why not try to buy a debenture seat? Buying one, for either Centre Court or Court No 1, gives you a premium seat for life, provided you're prepared to stump up the cash. These are the only types of Wimbledon tickets that can be legally transferred or sold on the open market.
While the 'big four' of Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic) might have mostly moved on, they are being replaced by the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, which keeps interest keen
With a debenture, you get access to the hallowed grounds through your own exclusive entrance and each debenture offers a 'premium seat' on Centre Court (rows A-N) or Court No 1 (rows A-Q) for five years. It also allows you to access certain restaurants and bars.
There are 2,520 such seats on Centre Court, and 1,250 on Court No 1. While you get the same seat for the championship, you will be allocated a different seat each year.
With a Centre Court ticket, you can access your seat on all 14 days of the tournament while, on Court No 1, as play finishes earlier, you will get 11 days, 'plus the right to buy face-value tickets for the last three days'.
Tim Webb is head of institutional trading with UK stockbroker Dowgate, which runs weekly auctions for debenture seats. He says there are a number of Irish debenture seat holders.
When we chat, he has 'literally hung up the phone to a new Irish buyer' of debenture seats for Court No 1. So what's the price the Irish buyer paid for five years of pleasure in SW19?
Well, last month, Wimbledon opened its 2027-2031 debenture series for Court No 1 at £73,000 (€86,166) per debenture – up almost 60 per cent on the price of the last issue.
In the most recent sale of Centre Court tickets (2026-30), debentures were sold at £116,000 (or £1,657 for each day of tennis).
As with stocks, there is a secondary market for debentures, which are financial instruments though they are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The aforementioned 2026-2030 Centre Court issuance for example, were selling for £156,000 as of April this year, according to Dowgate – even though one additional payment, the third and
final instalment of £43,500, is to be paid on February 27th, 2026. And when buying, you have to buy two, so you can double that cost.
For Court No 1, Dowgate sold a 2022-2026 debenture for £35,000 back in February. This seat has two years to run.
Webb says traditional owners of such seats were British families, who passed them down. These days they are being joined by a younger cohort of international buyers.
'It's a good investment. The value of the ticket has gone up quite drastically,' says Webb, 'Tickets are significantly more expensive than they used to be.'
But is there a better time of year to buy, when prices might be more muted?
'There isn't a good time, to be honest,' says Webb. 'There are four grand slams a year, and debentures are often bought for Christmas or birthday presents!'
While some tennis lovers will buy a debenture for the love of the game, others may see it as a canny opportunity to make some money- or at least help defray the cost of their own tickets.
In addition to trading your debenture, you also have the opportunity to sell your seat for each day of the tournament through a platform such as Wimbledon Debenture Holders.
Canny resale of the tickets can mean a 'free Wimbledon', says Webb, as you can go yourself for a few days, and sell on the tickets for the others.
If, for example, you've paid £80,000 for a five-year debenture, then the annual cost of the ticket is £16,000. By selling access to your ticket on certain key days, you might make this back – and more. Last year, for example, you could buy a debenture ticket for the men's finals on resale site Viagogo for a staggering £23,602.
This year, Wimbledon Debenture Holders was recently offering two tickets for Centre Court for men's semi-final day for £15,800.
Tickets sell out at lightning speed on the site, and it is difficult to be the one who gets them. So be prepared to spend a lot of time refreshing the resale page
To some extent, prices are driven by the popularity of the game. So while the 'big four' (Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic) might have moved on – or will be doing so soon in the case of Djokovic, they are being replaced by the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, which keeps interest keen.
'There is also a resurgence in American players, both men and women,' says Webb.
Package option
It is these debenture tickets that many will avail of if booking a package to Wimbledon.
This year, Keith Prowse Travel is offering a package – including return flight from Ireland, three or four-star hotel for one night, and debenture seats for one day on either Court No 1 or Centre Court – from €3,019 for Centre Court, for day two, rising to €3,959 for the ladies' final and almost €11,000 for the men's final.
You can save a bit by going to Court No 1, where prices start at €2,456 on day one and two. It's a steep price, but going this way means you can guarantee seats together with your travelling companion.
You can also book debenture seats only through a resale broker such as Green and Purple.