Is the O2 Arena or Wembley Stadium Bigger?

Capacity Comparison

The numbers tell a clear story:

Wembley holds roughly 4.5 times more people than the O2 Arena. Both opened in their current form in 2007, but they serve very different purposes.

Different Venues for Different Events

Wembley Stadium

Wembley is purpose-built for large-scale outdoor events including England football internationals, FA Cup finals, NFL games, and stadium concerts by artists who can fill 80,000+ seats. Only the very biggest touring acts (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay) play here.

The O2 Arena

The O2 is London's premier indoor arena, ideal for concerts that need 15,000–20,000 seats, NBA London games, UFC events, award ceremonies and touring shows. Artists typically play multiple nights at the O2 rather than one massive stadium show.

Which Is Better for Concerts?

It depends on the experience you want:

• Wembley offers epic scale and atmosphere but you may be far from the stage. Sound quality can be affected by wind and open-air acoustics.
• The O2 offers a more intimate experience with better sightlines and controlled sound. The enclosed roof means weather isn't a factor.

Many major artists play both venues on different tours, a stadium tour at Wembley one year, an arena tour at the O2 the next.

Location

Both are well-connected by public transport:

• Wembley Stadium, Wembley Park (Jubilee/Metropolitan lines), north-west London
• The O2 Arena, North Greenwich (Jubilee line), south-east London

The journey between the two takes roughly 40 minutes by tube. For detailed transport options to the stadium, see our guide on getting to Wembley Stadium.