OVO Arena Wembley: Where to Eat, Drink and What to Know Before Your Visit

At a Glance

OVO Arena Wembley is a 12,500-capacity indoor arena at Arena Square, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, London HA9 0AA. It is the second-largest indoor arena in Greater London after the O2 Arena. The nearest station is Wembley Park on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, two minutes on foot. The venue was built in 1934, designed by Sir Owen Williams, and is Grade II listed. Every seat has an unobstructed view of the stage. Tickets are sold through AXS. OVO Arena Wembley is managed by Legends Global and sits within the Wembley Park estate, with over 50 restaurants, bars and attractions within a five-minute walk.

Key Facts Before Your Visit

The essentials most visitors search for before a show at OVO Arena Wembley.

• Bag limit: Maximum A3 size (30cm x 40cm x 20cm). No storage on-site.
• Nearest food: The White Horse, Estadio Lounge, Haute Dolci, Five Guys, Itsu. Directly opposite.
• Doors: Typically 60–90 min before the main act. Check your ticket.
• App: Download the OVO Arena Wembley app or AXS app before you arrive, screenshots will not work at the gate.
• Accessible booking: 020 8782 5629, Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm
• No readmission once you leave the venue.
  
  

An iconic sports venue in Wembley Park

OVO Arena Wembley started out as the Empire Pool, built-in 1934 as a great British sporting venue that was used for the 1948 Olympics, the Wembley Professional Tennis Championships and indoor cycling competitions. These days you’ll find everything from darts to cage fighting at the OVO Arena Wembley, keeping Wembley’s sporting history alive and kicking, right next door to Wembley Stadium.

Things to Do Before Your Show

OVO Arena Wembley sits at the heart of Wembley Park, which means you have one of north-west London's best entertainment destinations on your doorstep before your show starts. Whether you are arriving with family, friends or solo, there is enough within a five-minute walk to fill a full afternoon.

Where to Eat Before Your Show

There are over 30 restaurants near OVO Arena Wembley within a five-minute walk, including pubs, fast food and sit-down dining at London Designer Outlet.

There is no proper restaurant inside OVO Arena Wembley, only concourse food and drinks. Eating before you go in is the better option, and you are well placed to do it. Between Arena Square, Olympic Way, London Designer Outlet and BOXPARK Wembley, the choice is wide and all of it is walkable.

Directly Opposite the Arena

The White Horse is the natural first choice. It is a Fuller's pub with a large terrace that looks straight across at the arena entrance, you can see the doors from your table. Open all day with a full food menu, it is the right place to settle in an hour before doors. On busy concert nights it gets loud and full. That is part of the appeal.

Estadio Lounge is directly next door. It runs from breakfast through to the evening, with a menu covering most bases: children's options, gluten-free dishes, vegan choices. The quieter option if you want to sit down properly rather than squeeze into a packed pub.

Haute Dolci serves indulgent desserts, ice creams and full brunch menus. Perfect for a pre-show treat if you want something sweet rather than a full meal.

Family Favourites at London Designer Outlet

London Designer Outlet is a three to five minute walk from OVO Arena Wembley and has a full floor of sit-down restaurants. Wagamama extends its opening hours on event nights, useful if you are cutting it close. Nando's is the reliable option for families. Big Moe's is a 1950s American diner with home-grilled burgers and milkshakes. Las Iguanas covers South American food with cocktails. Afrikana is an African-inspired peri kitchen with grilled chicken, sharing platters and bold flavours. Zizzi and Pizza Express both work well for groups with 45 minutes or more to spare. Frankie and Benny's suits mixed groups. TGI Fridays is the strongest family option in LDO.

Bars and Places to Drink Near OVO Arena Wembley

If you mainly want a drink before the show, stick close to Arena Square and Olympic Way. Feed the Yak at Wembley Park focuses on beer, with one of the biggest selections of taps, cans and bottles from London breweries in north-west London.

The White Horse is the classic pre-show pub for pints on the terrace with the arena entrance in full view. Estadio Lounge next door leans more cocktail-led, with a full list of mixed drinks, wine and spirits, plus recurring Lounge Cocktail Club offers outside peak event hours (check in-venue for details).BOXPARK Wembley has multiple bars and is one of the liveliest places for pre-show drinks, especially for groups.

For skyline views, Sky Bar 9 at Hilton London Wembley offers cocktails on a rooftop terrace, while Icons Bar, Grill and Terrace in the same hotel sits just across Arena Square from the arena entrance. Las Iguanas at London Designer Outlet is the go-to if you want Latin-style drinks and regular 2-for-£13 cocktail offers, subject to current timings and availability.

About OVO Arena Wembley

OVO Arena Wembley has a capacity of 12,500, making it the second-largest indoor arena in Greater London after the O2 Arena. The exact figure varies by event depending on floor configuration, standing shows typically use the full capacity, while seated events may be slightly lower.

Built in 1934 as the Empire Pool for the British Empire Games, OVO Arena Wembley was designed by engineer Sir Owen Williams using a cantilever structure that eliminates internal pillars entirely. Every seat has an unobstructed view of the stage. That is an engineering decision baked into the building nearly a century ago, and it is why sightlines at OVO Arena Wembley are consistently better than at newer venues of a similar size.

OVO Arena Wembley hosted swimming and diving at the 1948 Olympics, badminton and rhythmic gymnastics at London 2012, and has been a concert venue since 1959. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, David Bowie and Blackpink have all played here. It staged the UK's first arena comedy show in 1993. It is a Grade II listed building.

Since early 2022 OVO Arena Wembley has operated under the OVO Energy naming rights. It has been managed by Legends Global since December 2025. OVO Arena Wembley hosts over 120 shows a year and draws more than one million visitors annually (Source: OVO Arena).

Address: OVO Arena Wembley, Arena Square, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, HA9 0AA

Tickets and Entry at OVO Arena Wembley

Tickets are sold through AXS, the official ticketing partner. OVO Arena Wembley uses AXS Mobile ID Tickets, a dynamic barcode that refreshes every 59 seconds. Screenshots will not work at the gate. Download the OVO Arena Wembley app or the AXS app before you arrive, not on the night.

The Box Office at OVO Arena Wembley opens on event days only, from no later than one hour before doors until approximately 15 minutes after the main act starts. Find it on the right-hand side of the building on Arena Square. If the event is not sold out, tickets are available there on the day.

There is no readmission once you leave OVO Arena Wembley. If you arrive late, the foyer stays open throughout the event. Uncollected tickets can be retrieved from the reception desk at Door One, front left of the building.

Children: All children aged 2 and over require a ticket. Children aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Children aged 13 and under are not permitted on the standing floor.

What to Bring to OVO Arena Wembley

Keep bags small. All bags larger than 30cm wide x 40cm long x 20cm deep are not permitted inside OVO Arena Wembley and cannot be stored on-site. There are no cloakroom facilities.

If you need to leave a large bag nearby, Stasher lists local bag storage in the Wembley Park area.

Hotels Near OVO Arena Wembley

If you are travelling from outside London, staying in Wembley Park rather than central London has a straightforward practical case. You walk out of the venue and you are already where you are sleeping. No last tube anxiety, no surge pricing on a cab at midnight.

The Hilton London Wembley is the closest hotel to OVO Arena Wembley, a short walk across Arena Square, with 361 rooms, an indoor pool, rooftop bar and two restaurants. The Novotel London Wembley is a short walk away and suits families well. For more space, Quintain Living manages short-stay lets across its eight estate buildings, a good option for groups or anyone who wants a kitchen and more room to spread out.