OVO Arena Wembley — the venue many still know as Wembley Arena — is a 12,500-capacity indoor arena in north-west London, beside Wembley Stadium and Boxpark Wembley. It has staged world tours, awards shows and live events since 1934.
This guide covers the venue, what it hosts, the experience and how to get there without the post-show scramble.
About the venue
Opened in 1934 as the Empire Pool, the arena has been a fixture of British live entertainment for decades, reinvented over the years and now part of the thriving Wembley Park district alongside the stadium.
What’s on: the biggest tours & live shows
The OVO Arena hosts major concert tours, the BRIT Awards, comedy specials, family shows and live sport — a packed indoor calendar that fills the surrounding streets on event nights.
The venue & the experience
It is a seated and standing indoor arena right by Wembley Park station, with bars and restaurants on the doorstep. There is no public parking on event nights, and the area is busy whenever the stadium is also in use.
Through the year
Concerts and shows run year-round, with the busiest nights when a big tour or awards show is in town.
Getting to OVO Arena Wembley
OVO Arena Wembley sits about 9 miles from central London, postcode HA9 0AA, reached via the A40 and North Circular.
By road
From central London it is the A40 and North Circular up to Wembley; the area is heavily managed when the stadium is also hosting an event. Official car parks should be pre-booked for big events and fill early, and the queue to leave after the show is the worst part of the night.
By train
Wembley Park (Jubilee and Metropolitan lines) is a short walk, with Wembley Stadium and Wembley Central nearby — quick, but heaving when the stadium and arena clash.
By air, and the private-hire alternative
For visitors arriving by air, OVO Arena Wembley is reachable from Heathrow and Luton among others. Rather than gamble on a shuttle queue or rideshare surge when the crowd leaves at once, a fixed-fare transfer to OVO Arena Wembley collects you at the door, drops as close to the door as permitted and has a driver arranged for the exit.
The calm way to do event night
Fixed-price, pre-booked transfers to OVO Arena Wembley (HA9 0AA) — executive cars for couples, MPVs and minibuses for groups, no surge and no late-night premium. Your driver is allocated when you book and set down as close to the door as the traffic plan allows, with the pickup arranged in advance for the exit.
Get a fixed OVO Arena farePractical tips
- Check if the stadium is also on. When both venues host events the area is gridlocked — leave extra time.
- Sort the exit. A pre-arranged pickup point beats the post-show crowd to the Tube.
- Travel as a group. One minibus is cheaper per head and keeps everyone together.
- Pre-book to a fixed fare. App prices surge the moment a show ends.