History of Wembley Stadium in Timeline

Wembley Stadium, located in London, is England's national football stadium and one of the world's most iconic venues for the sport. Opened in 2007 on the site of the original stadium, it hosts England's national team matches and the FA Cup Final. Owned by the Football Association through Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL), it serves as their headquarters. With a seating capacity of 90,000, Wembley is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe.

1907: Watkin's Tower Demolished

In 1907, Watkin's Tower was demolished. Only the base of the tower was ever built before being abandoned.

1923: Original Wembley Stadium Built

In 1923, the original Wembley Stadium was built.

1966: Bobby Moore's World Cup Win

In 1966, Bobby Moore captained England to victory in the World Cup. A statue of Bobby Moore was unveiled outside Wembley Stadium in 2007.

1984: United States Football League Game staged at Wembley

In 1984, A United States Football League game was staged there at Wembley.

1986: National Football League Exhibition Games staged at Wembley

Between 1986 and 1993 the old Wembley Stadium hosted eight National Football League exhibition games featuring 13 different NFL teams.

1993: National Football League Exhibition Games staged at Wembley

Between 1986 and 1993 the old Wembley Stadium hosted eight National Football League exhibition games featuring 13 different NFL teams.

1997: International Rugby League leaves Wembley

In 1997, International rugby league left Wembley for the first time in a long time

2000: Initial Plan for Reconstruction

In 2000, the initial plan for the reconstruction of Wembley Stadium was for demolition to begin before Christmas.

September 2002: Demolition Begins

On September 30, 2002, demolition of the old Wembley Stadium officially began.

December 2002: Twin Towers Dismantled

In December 2002, the Twin Towers of the old Wembley Stadium were dismantled.

December 2003: Cleveland Bridge Warns Multiplex About Rising Costs

In December 2003, Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company warned Multiplex about rising costs.

2003: Original Wembley Stadium Closed

In 2003, the original Wembley Stadium was closed.

2003: Planned Completion of New Stadium

The planned completion date of the new stadium was sometime during 2003.

2004: Fatal Accident

In 2004, a fatal accident involving carpenter Patrick O'Sullivan occurred, leading to a fine for PC Harrington Contractors.

2004: Regeneration Plans Announced

In 2004, wider plans for the regeneration of Wembley were announced.

October 2005: Sports Minister's Announcement

In October 2005, Sports Minister Richard Caborn announced that the Cup Final would be held at Wembley, barring unforeseen circumstances.

November 2005: WNSL Hopeful for Handover Date

By November 2005, WNSL were still hopeful of a handover date of March 31.

December 2005: Builders Admit Material Risk

In December 2005, the builders admitted that there was a "material risk" that the stadium might not be ready in time for the final.

2005: London Awarded 2012 Summer Olympic Games

In 2005, London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

February 2006: FA Moves Game to Cardiff

In February 2006, the FA moved the game to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

March 2006: Steel Rafter Collapse

On March 20, 2006, a steel rafter in the roof of the new development fell, forcing workers to evacuate the stadium. On March 23, 2006, sewers beneath the stadium buckled due to ground movement.

March 2006: Delay Announcement

On March 30, 2006, the developers announced that Wembley Stadium would not be ready until 2007.

June 2006: Turf Laid

On June 19, 2006, it was announced that the turf had been laid.

October 2006: Venue Set to Open in Early 2007

On October 19, 2006, it was announced that the venue was now set to open in early 2007 after the dispute between the Football Association and Multiplex had finally been settled.

March 2007: First Matches Played at New Wembley

In March 2007, the new Wembley saw its first matches: a closed-door game between staff, a charity match on 17 March 2007 won by the Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI, and an England U21s vs Italy U21s match on 24 March 2007.

March 2007: Stadium Handover and Public Viewing

The new Wembley stadium was completed and handed over to the FA on March 9, 2007. Public viewing for local residents of Brent took place on March 17, 2007.

May 2007: Partial Shade on Pitch During FA Cup Final

During the mid-May 2007 FA Cup Final, the pitch was in partial shade at the start at 3 pm and also during the match.

May 2007: Football League Two Play-Off Final at Wembley

In May 2007, Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town played in the 2007 Football League Two play-off final at Wembley on 26 May 2007.

May 2007: First Club Game and Cup Final at New Wembley

On 12 May 2007, the first club game, competitive game, and cup final took place at the new Wembley when Kidderminster Harriers played Stevenage Borough in the FA Trophy final.

June 2007: England's First Game at New Wembley

On 1 June 2007, England played their first game at the new Wembley, a friendly against Brazil that ended 1-1.

June 2007: George Michael Concert

On 9 June 2007, George Michael gave the first concert at the new Wembley Stadium.

July 2007: Charity Concerts

In July 2007, Wembley Stadium hosted the Concert for Diana and Live Earth.

September 2007: First Competitive International at New Wembley

The first competitive senior international was played on 8 September 2007 between England and Israel, with England winning 3-0.

October 2007: First NFL Regular Season Game Played in Europe

On 28 October 2007, the New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the first NFL regular season game ever played in Europe at Wembley.

November 2007: Pitch Criticism

In November 2007, the pitch at Wembley was criticized by Slaven Bilić before a game between England and Croatia.

November 2007: England Loses to Croatia, Fails to Qualify for Euro 2008

On 21 November 2007, England suffered their first competitive defeat at the new stadium, losing 3-2 to Croatia, resulting in their failure to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008 and costing Steve McClaren his job.

2007: New Wembley Hosts NFL Regular Season Games

Between the opening of the new Wembley Stadium in 2007 and 2019 Wembley hosted games during the NFL regular season.

2007: Castleford Academy's Rugby Team Plays at Wembley

Castleford Academy's Rugby team played at Wembley Stadium in 2007, marking their first appearance at the stadium.

2007: Multiplex Contests Claim

In 2007, Multiplex contested a claim from its concrete contractor, PC Harrington.

2007: Wembley Stadium Opens

In 2007, Wembley Stadium opened on the site of the original stadium.

2007: Official Opening and FA Cup Final

In 2007, Wembley Stadium was officially opened on May 19 with the staging of the 2007 FA Cup Final. On May 11, 2007, the statue of Bobby Moore was unveiled.

2007: Projected Opening

In 2007, it was projected that the venue was now set to open.

2007: League Cup Final Moves to Wembley

In 2007, the League Cup final returned to Wembley Stadium from Cardiff, following the FA Cup final and FA Community Shield.

2007: Rugby League Challenge Cup Final Returns to Wembley

In 2007, the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final returned to Wembley Stadium.

2007: Cost of Construction

In 2007, the construction of Wembley stadium was completed with a cost of £798 million.

2007: Race of Champions Staged at Wembley

The Race of Champions was held at Wembley Stadium in 2007.

May 2008: Second FA Cup Final Held at the New Wembley

The second FA Cup final held at the new stadium took place on 17 May 2008, with Portsmouth winning the title 1–0 against Cardiff City.

June 2008: Foo Fighters Concert

In June 2008, Foo Fighters performed at Wembley Stadium in two sold-out shows, which were captured on the DVD Live at Wembley Stadium.

September 2008: Cleveland Bridge Ordered to Pay Damages

In September 2008, Cleveland Bridge was ordered to pay £6.1 million in damages after the court found against them.

December 2008: First Top Level Rugby Union Match at Wembley

On 3 December 2008, the first top-level rugby union match at Wembley was a non-cap match between the Barbarians and Australia.

2008: England did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008

In 2008, England did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, which was blamed by some as the reason the pitch was cut up during the game.

2008: Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour

In 2008, Madonna played Wembley during her Sticky and Sweet Tour, grossing nearly US$12 million.

2008: Race of Champions Staged at Wembley

The Race of Champions was held at Wembley Stadium in 2008.

April 2009: FA Admits Improvements Needed

In April 2009, the Football Association admitted that improvements were needed to the Wembley pitch.

August 2009: U2 360° Tour

On 14 and 15 August 2009, U2 continued their 360° tour at Wembley Stadium in front of 164,244 fans.

October 2009: NFL Commissioner Expects Multiple Games in Britain

In October 2009, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated that he expected the NFL to start playing multiple regular-season games in Britain, potentially leading to a London franchise.

2009: Oasis Last Tour

In 2009, The band previously performed at Wembley in 2009, their last tour prior to 2025.

2009: Take That Present: The Circus Live

In the summer of 2009, Wembley hosted Take That Present: The Circus Live for four nights.

March 2010: Surface Relaid

In March 2010, the surface was relaid for the tenth time since opening.

April 2010: Pitch Criticized Again

In April 2010, the pitch was again criticized following the FA Cup semi-finals.

June 2010: Settlement Out of Court

In June 2010, the dispute between Multiplex and Mott MacDonald was settled out of court.

June 2010: 95.8 Capital FM Summertime Ball

On 6 June 2010, Wembley Stadium hosted the 95.8 Capital FM Summertime Ball, headlined by Rihanna and Usher.

September 2010: Muse's Resistance Tour

On 10 and 11 September 2010, Muse returned to Wembley Stadium as part of their Resistance Tour.

January 2011: Trial Date

In January 2011, the planned trial date between Multiplex and Mott MacDonald was not needed as the dispute was settled out of court in June 2010.

May 2011: Wembley Hosts UEFA Champions League Final

On 28 May 2011, Wembley Stadium hosted the UEFA Champions League final for the first time, featuring Barcelona against Manchester United.

2011: International Rugby League Returns to Wembley

In 2011, International rugby league returned to Wembley for the first time since 1997 when Wales lost to New Zealand and Australia beat England in the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations.

2011: Take That at Wembley

In 2011, Robbie Williams played at the stadium with Take That.

2011: Hosts 2011 Champions League Final

In 2011, Wembley hosted the Champions League Final.

2011: Take That's Progress Live Tour

In summer 2011, Take That played a record-breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium on their Progress Live tour.

October 2012: Two NFL Games Announced for 2013

In October 2012, the NFL announced that two regular season games would be played at Wembley Stadium during the 2013 season.

2012: Great Britain Defeats Brazil in Women's International

During the 2012 Olympics, Great Britain defeated Brazil in the first women's international to take place at Wembley Stadium.

2012: Saracens vs Harlequins at Wembley

In 2012, Saracens' Aviva Premiership clash with Harlequins at Wembley drew a crowd of 83,761, setting a world record for a rugby union club match.

2012: Wembley Hosts 2012 Summer Olympics Football

In 2012, Wembley Stadium was a key venue for the London Summer Olympics, hosting several matches in both the men's and women's football tournaments, including the finals.

2012: Hosts 2012 Olympic Games Football Tournament

In 2012, Wembley hosted the gold-medal matches at the Olympic Games football tournament.

2012: No Summer Concerts Due to Olympics

In summer 2012, no concerts took place at Wembley due to the Olympics.

2012: London Olympic Stadium Used for Athletics Events

Since the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the London Olympic Stadium has been used for major athletics events.

August 2013: Castleford Academy's Rugby Team Plays at Wembley

On 24 August 2013, Castleford Academy's Year 7 Rugby team played RGS High Wycombe at Wembley Stadium, marking their 4th appearance at the stadium since 2007.

September 2013: Steelers vs. Vikings Game

On 29 September 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers played against the Minnesota Vikings at Wembley Stadium.

October 2013: 49ers vs. Jaguars Game

On 27 October 2013, the San Francisco 49ers played against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.

2013: Jaguars New Temporary Tenants

In 2013, The Jacksonville Jaguars became temporary tenants and agreed to host games in London from 2013 to 2016

2013: Wembley Hosts Rugby League World Cup Semi-Finals

In 2013, Wembley Stadium hosted both semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup.

2013: Hosts 2013 Champions League Final

In 2013, Wembley hosted the Champions League Final.

2013: Rugby League World Cup Semi-Finals at Wembley

In 2013, the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup were played at Wembley Stadium.

2013: Seven Big Shows

In summer 2013, Wembley hosted seven big shows, including Bruce Springsteen, The Killers, Robbie Williams, and Roger Waters.

May 2014: Froch vs Groves boxing match

In May 2014, Wembley Stadium hosted its first boxing event: Carl Froch vs. George Groves. The crowd was 80,000, a British post-war record.

November 2014: England Women's Team Plays at Wembley

On 23 November 2014, the England women's team played at Wembley Stadium for the first time, losing 3-0 to Germany in a friendly.

2014: AC/DC Rock Or Bust Tour

In 2014, AC/DC also performed at Wembley on their tour to support their album Rock Or Bust.

2014: One Direction's Where We Are Tour

In 2014, One Direction played to 246,000 people over three sold-out shows at Wembley as part of their Where We Are Tour.

2014: Saracens vs Harlequins at Wembley

In 2014, Saracens' Aviva Premiership clash with Harlequins at Wembley drew a crowd of 83,889 spectators.

2014: Sponsorship Agreement with EE Limited

In 2014, Wembley Stadium entered into a six-year sponsorship agreement with EE Limited and was referred to as "Wembley Stadium connected by EE".

2014: Three NFL Games at Wembley

In 2014, Wembley hosted three regular season NFL games, including Raiders vs. Dolphins, Falcons vs. Lions, and Jaguars vs. Cowboys.

2014: Rams Cancel Games

In 2014, the St. Louis Rams cancelled their annual game at Wembley, leading to the Jacksonville Jaguars becoming temporary tenants.

July 2015: Ed Sheeran's World Tour

On 10–12 July 2015, Ed Sheeran performed three sold-out shows at Wembley as part of his world tour.

August 2015: Ed Sheeran – Live at Wembley Stadium Airs on NBC

On 16 August 2015, the Ed Sheeran concert from July was aired on NBC as a one-hour special called Ed Sheeran – Live at Wembley Stadium.

2015: Saracens vs Harlequins at Wembley

In 2015, Saracens' Aviva Premiership clash with Harlequins at Wembley drew a crowd of 84,068 spectators.

2015: First Divisional NFL Match

In 2015, Wembley hosted the first-ever divisional match between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

2015: Statue Erected Outside Wembley

In 2015, a second statue was erected outside of Wembley, depicting Rugby League legends Martin Offiah, Alex Murphy, Eric Ashton, Gus Risman and Billy Boston.

2015: Record Attendance at Rugby World Cup Game

In 2015, the New Zealand versus Argentina game at Wembley set a new record attendance for a Rugby World Cup game with a crowd of 89,019. One week later, the Ireland versus Romania match improved this record again to 89,267.

2015: FA Women's Cup Final Held at Wembley

Since 2015, the FA Women's Cup final has been held at Wembley Stadium.

2015: Wembley Used During 2015 Rugby World Cup

The stadium was used during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

October 2016: First NFL Overtime Game

On 30 October 2016, the first NFL game outside the US went into overtime and ended in a tie between the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals.

2016: Tottenham Hotspur to Use Wembley for European Fixtures

In 2016, Tottenham Hotspur agreed to use Wembley Stadium for all of their European fixtures during the 2016-17 season.

2016: Jaguars Temporary Tenancy

The Jacksonville Jaguars were temporary tenants and agreed to host games in London from 2013 to 2016

April 2017: Joshua vs. Klitschko Championship Fight

On 29 April 2017, the Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko fight broke the attendance record with approximately 90,000 attendees.

June 2017: Adele's "The Finale" Concerts

In June 2017, Adele completed her world tour with two concerts, dubbed "The Finale", at Wembley. The 28 June concert had 98,000 fans.

July 2017: Adele Cancels Performances

On 30 June, Adele announced via social media that she had regretfully cancelled her final two performances upon medical advice due to vocal injuries in July 2017.

August 2017: Tottenham Hotspur Temporary Home

From August 2017, Wembley was the temporary home of Tottenham Hotspur.

2017: Tottenham Hotspur to Use Wembley for Entire Season

In 2017, Tottenham Hotspur used Wembley Stadium for the entire 2017-18 season.

June 2018: Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour

In June 2018, Taylor Swift performed two sold-out shows at Wembley, attended by over 143,000 people.

July 2018: Parliamentary Select Committee Discusses Wembley Sale

On 18 July 2018, a parliamentary select committee convened to discuss the potential sale of Wembley Stadium, featuring testimonies from Gary Neville and Katrina Law of the Football Supporters' Federation.

October 2018: NFL Game and Premier League Match

In October 2018, Wembley hosted an NFL game followed by a Premier League match, resulting in a worn pitch.

October 2018: Shahid Khan Withdraws Offer to Purchase Wembley Stadium

In October 2018, specifically on 17 October 2018, Shahid Khan withdrew his offer to purchase Wembley Stadium from the FA.

November 2018: Champions League Leg Played at Wembley

In November 2018, despite the pitch's condition, UEFA allowed a Champions League leg to be played at Wembley.

2018: Joshua vs. Povetkin Fight

In 2018, Anthony Joshua returned to Wembley to face Alexander Povetkin for the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles.

2018: Tottenham Hotspur Plays Home Games at Wembley

In 2018, Tottenham Hotspur played most of their home games of the 2018-19 season at Wembley.

March 2019: Tottenham Hotspur Leave Wembley

In March 2019, Tottenham Hotspur stopped using Wembley as their home stadium.

April 2019: Tottenham Hotspur Move to New Stadium

In April 2019, Tottenham Hotspur moved to their new stadium, ending their use of Wembley.

June 2019: BTS and Spice Girls at Wembley

In June 2019, BTS became the first K-pop group to headline and sell out at Wembley, and the Spice Girls performed the last three sold out dates of their Spice World tour.

July 2019: The Who Perform

On 6 July 2019, The Who performed at Wembley during their Moving On! Tour, 40 years since playing in the old stadium.

September 2019: Wembley Named Host for 2023 UEFA Champions League Final

In September 2019, Wembley was named the host for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.

2019: New Wembley Hosts NFL Regular Season Games

Between the opening of the new Wembley Stadium in 2007 and 2019 Wembley hosted games during the NFL regular season.

2019: Jaguars Consecutive Games

In 2019, the Jaguars played consecutive annual games at Wembley.

2019: Sponsorship Agreement with EE Limited Renewed

In 2019, the sponsorship agreement with EE was renewed for a further 5 years.

May 2020: Jaguars Games Cancelled

In May 2020, the two Jacksonville Jaguars games scheduled for autumn 2020 were cancelled.

2020: Hosts UEFA Euro 2020

In 2020, Wembley hosted eight games at UEFA Euro 2020, including the final and both semi-finals.

2020: Tour Postponed

In 2020, the Harry Styles' planned tour had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

June 2021: England Defeats Germany in UEFA Euro 2020

On 29 June 2021, England won 2-0 against Germany at Wembley in the round of 16 match at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

July 2021: England Wins Against Denmark in UEFA Euro 2020

On 7 July 2021, England won 2-1 against Denmark at Wembley in the semi-final match at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

April 2022: Fury vs. Whyte Title Fight

On 23 April 2022, the WBC and The Ring heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte took place at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, with Fury emerging victorious.

June 2022: Harry Styles' Love on Tour

In June 2022, Harry Styles performed two sold out nights at Wembley as part of his solo world tour.

July 2022: England Wins UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Final

On 31 July 2022, Wembley Stadium hosted the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final, where England won against Germany 2-1.

August 2022: Westlife First Performance

On 6 August 2022, Westlife performed for the first time at the stadium.

September 2022: Foo Fighters Tribute Concert

On 3 September 2022, the Foo Fighters played a sold-out Wembley tribute concert to Taylor Hawkins.

November 2022: Westlife Screenplay at ITV

On 20 November 2022, Westlife has a recorded screenplay at ITV.

2022: Hosts UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Final

In 2022, Wembley hosted the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.

2022: New Agreement Reached

In 2022, a new agreement was reached which would see Jacksonville continue to host annual games for three years until 2024.

April 2023: AEW Event Announcement

On 5 April 2023, AEW announced they would stage an event at Wembley on 27 August 2023, called "All In London at Wembley Stadium".

July 2023: Blur Reunion Tour

In July 2023, Blur headlined two shows at Wembley Stadium as part of their reunion tour.

August 2023: The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour

On 18 August 2023, The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn tour broke the record for most tickets sold with the "traditional concert set-up", having 89,179 people.

August 2023: AEW All In London

On 27 August 2023, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held their event "All In London at Wembley Stadium", marking their UK debut and first event outside North America.

2023: Switched to a carpet lay and play system

In 2023 the stadium switched to a carpet lay and play system.

2023: Harry Styles' Four Shows

In 2023, Harry Styles played four further Love on Tour shows.

June 2024: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

Taylor Swift's return for The Eras Tour on 21, 22, and 23 June 2024.

July 2024: AC/DC Power Up Tour

On 3 and 7 July 2024, AC/DC performed shows with supporting band The Pretty Reckless on their Power Up Tour.

August 2024: AEW All In

On 25 August 2024, Wembley hosted AEW All In, where Bryan Danielson won the AEW World Championship.

August 2024: Oasis Reunion Announcement

On 27 August 2024, Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher announced that Oasis would be reuniting in 2025, with Wembley making up the second venue in England with seven scheduled concerts.

August 2024: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

Taylor Swift's return for The Eras Tour on 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20 August 2024 made her the first female act in the stadium's history to schedule six, seven and eight shows on a single tour and subsequently broke Michael Jackson’s record for most nights at either stadium on the site by a solo performer.

September 2024: Joshua vs. Dubois Fight

On 21 September 2024, Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois took place at Wembley Stadium as part of the Riyadh Season Card, with Dubois winning by knockout.