- Over 2.8 million people visited Wembley Park this summer, surpassing pre-pandemic footfall by 18%
- Wembley Park station outpaced popular central London tourist hubs over the summer
- Wembley Park set to build on this success with Coldplay, Oasis and Dua Lipa to play sell-out shows at Wembley Stadium in summer 2025
- New cultural offerings including public art across the Wembley Park neighbourhood, Starlight Express and Punchdrunk Enrichment, drive growth
Wembley Park continues its rise as one of London’s most dynamic cultural destinations, with record-breaking visitor numbers recorded this summer. Official footfall data provided by Transport for London (TfL) reveals that exits at Wembley Park Underground Station increased by 18.2% on pre-pandemic levels, reaching 2,868,000 units between June and August 2024, against the same period in summer 2019.
Wembley Park ranked within the top 5% out of 434 stations operated by TfL, ahead of many prime central London locations.
The pre-pandemic summer of 2019 set a high benchmark for Wembley Park, with 2,428,000 exits at Wembley Park Underground Station. Wembley Stadium hosted sold-out shows by acts such as the reunited Spice Girls, global phenomenon BTS, Pink, The Eagles, Bon Jovi and Fleetwood Mac. Despite this, the summer of 2024 exceeded those exit numbers, reinforcing Wembley Park’s position as a vibrant destination that continues to attract visitors in growing numbers.
This summer's success was driven by a combination of world-class entertainment and new cultural offerings. In the realm of music, Taylor Swift's eight sold-out Wembley Stadium dates drew nearly 700,000 fans from all over the world, while Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, AC/DC and Green Day headlined high-profile concerts. OVO Arena Wembley further contributed to the lineup, hosting major acts such as Troye Sivan, Scorpions, and Garbage.
Looking ahead to 2025, Wembley Park is set to build on this success and cultural credentials with sell-out Wembley Stadium concerts by Coldplay (who are set to break a new record with 10 concert dates at the venue), Oasis and Dua Lipa scheduled for summer as well as the arrival of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which will open its new headquarters in the neighbourhood in early 2025.
On the theatrical front, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express made its triumphant London return at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre - newly renamed Starlight Auditorium - with sold-out shows throughout the summer. Adding to area’s diverse offerings, Punchdrunk Enrichment, known for their innovative immersive experiences, began a significant three-year residency in Wembley Park in June. Their debut production, Enitan's Game, staged five shows daily reimagining traditional theatre and drawing new audiences of all ages to the neighbourhood.
Wembley Park's cultural landscape continued to expand with the introduction of new, accessible public art across the neighbourhood. In June, the Wembley Park Art Trail added to its collection with two large-scale, Taylor Swift-inspired murals by artists HUMOR x MurWalls and Frank Styles located on the stadium steps, temporarily renamed the ‘Swiftie Steps’. Launched by the Mayor of London, the installations themselves became part of the Taylor Swift concert experience for fans after going viral on social media. Meanwhile, the free Taylor on Tour outdoor photo exhibition showcased a collection of photographs by Getty Images and was the first of its kind.
Wembley Park and Found in Music produced a summer-long free event series at the open-air Sound Shell stage on Olympic Way, featuring the annual Wembley Park Pride event, Taylor on Strings classical concert with City String Ensemble, and Sounds of the World music festival, introducing over 50 emerging artists to new audiences.
Beyond its world-class live entertainment, Wembley Park's visitor economy expanded with Bubble Planet—a popular family attraction that renewed its residency this summer due to overwhelming demand. This highlights Wembley Park's strength as a hub for unique, immersive experiences that attract a diverse visitor mix.
Wembley Park’s shops and restaurants also boosted visits, with London Designer Outlet hitting peak sales of £28.7 million this summer — its best since opening in 2013.
PFM Intelligence data reveals that year-to-date visitors to Wembley Park are up 9.3% compared to 2023, 44.8% compared to 2022, and a remarkable 144.4% since 2021, reflecting the area's growing appeal as a year-round destination for both local and international visitors, as well as residents who call the neighbourhood home.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries said: “London has had a spectacular summer of music, arts and sports, and Wembley Park has been right at the heart of it. Wembley Stadium hosted more nights of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking The Eras Tour than any other venue, while the Starlight Auditorium hosted Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express and there were fantastic free open-air performances on Olympic Way. I look to 2025 with excitement as the area welcomes more high-profile gigs, including the long-awaited return of Oasis, and the new home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, building a better London for all."
Wembley Park's transformation reflects a growing residential community that has significantly expanded since 2019. This blend of permanent residents and visitors has created a thriving neighbourhood that complements the area's rich cultural and leisure offerings.
Claudio Giambrone, Head of Marketing and Cultural Programming, Wembley Park, comments: “Wembley Park has truly blossomed into a vibrant creative neighbourhood for London. From world-class stages to street art, we're showcasing incredible talent - both global stars and emerging local performers. We're grateful to the artists and our amazing venues for making this possible. It has been anything but a ‘Cruel Summer’ for Wembley Park!”
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A selection of high res image can be found here.
Notes to Editors
About the Data
The Transport for London (TfL) data used in this release was sourced from publicly accessible datasets, providing an overview of customer travel patterns across bus and rail networks. This includes station footfall and journey data, drawn from their ticketing systems and available through TfL’s Network Demand Dashboard. The dashboard offers a visual representation of demand trends, both historical and current, since 2019. This data is particularly valuable for partners, data enthusiasts, and researchers looking to analyse travel behaviour across London’s transport network. Access the dashboard on the TfL website here.
Visitor footfall data from PFM Intelligence Group is sourced from a comprehensive weekly dashboard, providing insights into visitor traffic, dwell times, weekly averages and behavioural trends across various public spaces.
