During the London 2012 Olympic Games, Wembley will play host to three different Olympic events.
Wembley Arena will be the venue for the Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics from 9–12 August and Olympic Badminton events from 28 July – 5 August. Up to 6,500 spectators will attend each session with between one and three sessions taking place per day.
Wembley Stadium will host some of the Olympic Football events. Nine matches will be held at the stadium, including the finals. Two matches will be held on 29 July and then one per day will be held on various dates from 31 July – 11 August. Wembley Stadium will host up to 90,000 spectators per match.
This page is designed to keep you informed about the London 2012 Games in your area and provide you with the information you need to plan ahead for the Games.
Installation of temporary venue infrastructure
In order to prepare Wembley Arena for Olympic competition, flooring, lighting and other competition requirements will be installed within the Arena. Temporary training and warm-up halls and an operations compound will also be installed to the north of the Arena.
Wembley Stadium’s design means that few additions will be needed for the Olympic Football matches. However, temporary security screening areas for spectators and vehicles will need to be installed.
Site preparation works for the temporary structures began on 2 January 2012 and are due to be completed at the end of March. Construction of the temporary buildings for athletes’ training and warm-up facilities, broadcast facilities and London 2012 Operational teams will begin on 1 April 2012.
We anticipate the site will be fully reinstated to its previous condition by the end of September 2012.
Security
In order to run a safe and secure event, we will need to implement the following security measures during the Games:
Local travel information
- fencing, lighting and CCTV cameras
- security patrols around the venue
- installation of Pedestrian and Vehicle Screening Areas
London 2012 is working with the London Borough of Brent and others to develop a temporary traffic management plan in and around Wembley. This plan will help provide a safe and secure environment around the venue during the events and keep traffic moving.
The majority of what is being put in place around Wembley Stadium is the same as the current arrangements for events at the stadium.
Find out more information about local access and parking plans for Wembley
For more information about how travel in the local area will be affected visit the Get Ahead of the Games website
The Olympic Route Network (ORN)
The Olympic Route Network (ORN) is made up of a number of roads linking all competition and other key venues to provide reliable journey times for the athletes, officials, media and others who make the Games happen.
The vast majority of the ORN will be open to general traffic but to keep traffic moving along the routes some temporary traffic changes will be necessary. Transport for London contacted residents and local businesses last year to invite comments on the ORN, and you can view the outcome of this and the details of the changes to the way the roads can be used at www.tfl.gov.uk/orn.
After the Games
When the London 2012 Olympic Games are over in August, Wembley Arena will continue as a world-class music and sports venue and Wembley Stadium will continue to be used as a top-class sports facility.
We will begin to remove all our temporary structures immediately after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games. We anticipate that the site will be cleared of all London 2012 facilities by the end of September.
What will happen and when?
1 April: Construction of the temporary venue structures begins
18 July: Closure of Engineers Way
25 July: Olympic Torch visits Brent
27 July: Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
28 July – 12 August: Olympic Games events at Wembley Arena and Wembley Stadium
12 August: Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
13–26 August: Removal of temporary structures and facilities
14 August: Engineers Way reopens to the public
27 August – 30 September: Full decommissioning of site
For more information
Find out how travel in your local area will be affected
Find out more about the London 2012 in the London Borough of Brent If you have any questions that you would like us to answer, please contact us at inyourarea@london2012.com or call the Community Relations hotline on 08000 722 110
Get involved
From the Olympic Torch Relay and Local Leaders programme to the London 2012 Festival there are millions of ways to join in with London 2012. Events are taking place across the UK from now right until the end of the Games.
Find out how you can join in and see what’s happening in your local community.


