Wembley Stadium is a 90,000-capacity national stadium in Wembley Park, London, opened in 2007 on the site of the original 1923 stadium. It is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe. The venue hosts England national football matches, FA Cup finals, League Cup finals, and major concerts. For concerts, the pitch is converted to standing general admission, pushing total capacity to approximately 98,000. Wembley Stadium is operated by the Football Association and is best suited for global superstars who can sell 90,000-plus tickets in the London market.
History
The original Wembley Stadium opened on April 28, 1923, as the Empire Stadium, built for the British Empire Exhibition. It hosted the FA Cup final that same year, with an estimated crowd of 300,000 pouring in before ticket checks were established. The original stadium became the home of English football and hosted the 1948 Olympic Games, the 1966 World Cup final, and the 1996 European Championship.
The original stadium was demolished in 2003, and the new Wembley Stadium opened on March 9, 2007, after a construction process that took nearly four years and cost 798 million pounds. The new stadium was designed by architects Foster and Partners with structural engineering by HOK Sport (now Populous). Its most distinctive feature is the 134-meter-high Wembley Arch, which supports the sliding roof and is visible from across London.
The first concert at the new stadium was performed by George Michael on June 9, 2007. The first football match was an England under-21 international on March 24, 2007, and the first senior international was England vs. Brazil on June 1, 2007.
Notable Concerts
Wembley Stadium has hosted some of the largest concerts in UK history. Muse became the first band to sell out the new stadium in June 2007. Other notable performers include Ed Sheeran, who played four sold-out nights in 2018 (selling approximately 320,000 tickets total), Taylor Swift, who performed two nights in 2018 and returned for multiple nights in 2024, and Adele, who played two nights in 2022 after postponing her original 2017 dates.
Bruce Springsteen played there in 2016. Beyonce and Jay-Z performed there together in 2018. The Rolling Stones played there in 2013. Coldplay performed six nights there in 2024 as part of their Music of the Spheres tour, setting a record for the most nights at the stadium by a single artist on one tour. Oasis announced 10 nights at Wembley Stadium for their 2025 reunion tour, though some dates were later moved to other venues due to scheduling conflicts.
Notable Shows Here
Wembley Stadium has hosted some of the most significant concerts in rock and pop history. These are among the most widely documented:
- Queen (July 11 to 12, 1986): Two nights during the Magic Tour, widely regarded as one of the greatest live rock performances ever captured on film. The shows were recorded and released as "Live at Wembley '86." Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon performed to approximately 72,000 people each night.
- Queen at Live Aid (July 13, 1985): Queen's 21-minute set at Live Aid, performed to 72,000 people in the stadium and broadcast to an estimated 1.9 billion viewers worldwide. The set is frequently cited as the greatest live performance in rock history.
- George Michael (June 9, 2007): The first concert at the new Wembley Stadium, performing on the opening night of the venue's post-rebuild era.
- Muse (June 16 to 17, 2007): The first band to sell out the new Wembley Stadium, recorded for the live album "HAARP."
- Ed Sheeran (2018): Four sold-out nights, selling approximately 320,000 tickets total, one of the highest-grossing concert runs in UK history.
- Coldplay (2024): Six nights as part of the Music of the Spheres tour, setting the record for the most Wembley Stadium shows by a single artist on one tour.
- Adele (2022): Two nights after postponing her original 2017 dates, performing to approximately 180,000 people across the run.
- Oasis (2025): Announced 10 nights for their reunion tour, though some dates were moved to other venues due to scheduling conflicts.
Here is Queen's full Live Aid performance from Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985, officially remastered in 4K on the Queen YouTube channel:
And here is Queen performing "We Will Rock You" live at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 1986, the first night of their two-night stand:
How the Venue Operates
Wembley Stadium is owned and operated by the Football Association (FA). Concert bookings are handled through the stadium's events team in partnership with major promoters, primarily Live Nation and AEG Presents. The venue is not available for direct hire by independent artists or small promoters.
A Wembley Stadium concert requires a production budget in the millions of pounds. The venue hire fee, production costs, staffing, security, and infrastructure for a single night typically exceed 2 million pounds before the artist receives any payment. Only artists with global commercial traction and major label support can justify the financial risk.
For concerts, the pitch is covered with a protective flooring system and the standing area on the field brings total capacity to approximately 98,000. The venue has 26 hospitality boxes, multiple food and beverage outlets, and 2,618 toilets (more than any other venue in the world).
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
Wembley Stadium is the pinnacle of the UK live music circuit. No independent artist books this venue. A Wembley Stadium show requires an artist at the absolute peak of commercial success, with global streaming numbers in the tens of millions per month, multiple platinum certifications, and a booking agent who can negotiate with Live Nation or AEG at the stadium tier.
However, Wembley Stadium is useful as a reference point for understanding the economics of stadium-scale touring. A single Wembley Stadium night with 90,000 tickets sold at an average of 75 pounds per ticket generates approximately 6.75 million pounds in gross ticket revenue. After the venue hire fee, production costs, promoter fees, agent commissions, and taxes, the artist's team might net 2 to 3 million pounds per night. This is why stadium tours are typically limited to artists with decades of catalog or massive current streaming success.
For independent artists, the relevant progression is through grassroots venues (200 to 800 capacity), mid-sized venues (1,000 to 5,000), arenas (10,000 to 15,000), and then theatres and amphitheatres (5,000 to 20,000) before stadium-level shows become feasible. Most artists who reach Wembley Stadium have been touring for 10 to 20 years before they attempt it.
Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model touring revenue at different venue tiers. Read our guide on how to book your first tour for a framework on building from small clubs upward. The complete guide to making money as a musician in 2026 covers live revenue strategies at every scale.
Similar and Nearby Venues
Wembley Stadium is part of a global network of large-scale stadiums that host major concerts:
- Wembley Arena - The 12,500-capacity indoor arena adjacent to Wembley Stadium, a mid-size alternative in the same complex
- The O2 Arena - London's 20,000-capacity arena, the primary indoor concert venue in the city
- Madison Square Garden - New York's 20,789-capacity arena, the closest US equivalent in cultural standing
- Accor Arena - Paris's 20,300-capacity arena, the French equivalent for major concert productions
- Tokyo Dome - Tokyo's 55,000-capacity stadium, the Japanese equivalent for stadium-scale concerts
- Brixton Academy - London's 4,920-capacity venue, representing the grassroots tier of the London live music circuit
Related Resources
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Estimate earnings from live shows
- How to Book Your First Tour: Step-by-Step Guide
- Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026
- Wembley Stadium Official Website
