What to bring to Wimbledon

What to bring to Wimbledon: the current bag and bottle restrictions, a practical packing list, and four outfits planned around what you will carry.

A Wimbledon bag has two rather different jobs. It must get you through the entrance with the required documents and permitted contents, then remain tolerable to carry while your interest is elsewhere. A design that answers only the first task can still make a long afternoon feel longer.

Begin with your actual itinerary: ticket type, journey, dining arrangements, forecast and any personal requirements. Those decisions determine much of the packing. The programme or book you want to bring is a legitimate pleasure too; a useful list should make space for the individual, rather than reduce everybody to the same collection of miniature toiletries.

The Wimbledon bag and bottle rules

The current maximum bag size is 40 × 30 × 30cm. The conditions prohibit hard-sided bags and containers, including picnic hampers and cool boxes. Measure a soft bag when packed: the extra cardigan still counts towards its dimensions.

The conditions updated on 28 August 2026 also prohibit dual-skinned vacuum flasks, travel mugs and opaque bottles larger than 500ml. Liquids must be capable of inspection; non-transparent liquids or liquids in metal or opaque bottles that prevent inspection must be surrendered or left in the provided storage arrangements. Check the current wording before choosing your container, rather than assuming that anything refillable will be admitted.

Camping chairs and other erectable equipment cannot be brought into the Grounds. Personal umbrellas are treated separately from prohibited parasols. Consult the full prohibited-items list for unusual equipment and for personal medical requirements; a short packing guide cannot safely settle every exception.

The useful core of the bag

• Your ticket in the required format, working account access where needed, and the original identification required by the AELTC or your booking.
• Medication and personal necessities, with any documentation required under the entry conditions, kept within reach.
• A charged phone, payment method and, if you need it, a compact power bank with the correct lead.
• Sun protection, sunglasses and a manageable hat if useful; it must not obstruct another spectator's view.
• A layer chosen for the forecast, tissues and familiar blister protection if these are useful to you.

Keep liquids securely closed and separate from paper and delicate fabrics. Put entry items in an accessible compartment so that a request for identification does not require unpacking lunch. If you intend to bring food, check the conditions and any hospitality arrangements first. A meal already included in your booking may change what you need to carry.

For her: pack around the outfit

A dress, one useful layer and a small shoulder bag

With a blue cotton dress and brown flats, a fine cream cardigan gives you a coherent later layer. Fold it loosely or carry it securely so that a sleeve cannot escape onto the pavement. Try the bag over the cardigan as well as over the dress: a strap that sits perfectly on cotton may slide on a smooth knit.

A silk square can supply colour early in the day, then fit into a clean pouch when you no longer want it at your neck. The pouch is useful protection from sun cream and food, not an excuse to make the scarf your rain plan. Include the warmer or waterproof garment the forecast calls for.

Choose reliable shoes at the outset wherever possible. If the day genuinely requires a change, pack the second pair before measuring the bag. It is better to discover at home that they occupy half its capacity than to find yourself carrying them separately at the gate.

Trousers and a layer that can be worn

Navy trousers, a pale shirt and a light overshirt let some of the packing travel on your body. Wear the overshirt on the outward journey, then fold it when the temperature rises. Choose one whose surface can tolerate that treatment; a garment that needs a fresh pressing whenever it leaves a hanger asks rather a lot of a shoulder bag.

A compact crossbody with a workable closure can keep medication, phone and payment close. Check the filled shape against your hip and against the permitted dimensions. A soft, slightly roomier design may serve better than a rigid miniature that leaves its owner holding every object it cannot accommodate.

For him: avoid turning pockets into luggage

A jacket with a light bag

An unstructured navy jacket, pale blue shirt and stone chinos work with a small soft shoulder bag. Keep the trouser pockets lightly filled. A phone and a large bunch of keys can distort the line of otherwise well-cut trousers, while secure jacket pockets are better used for a few small items than the entire day's equipment.

Consider the jacket's actual warmth. A light linen one may give shape without much insulation; a fine knit can be the more useful addition for a cool journey home. Try the layers together, then decide which item will be worn and which must fit in the bag.

A polo and compact weather protection

A green polo, navy trousers and familiar trainers leave a light rain layer to be packed if needed. It should fit over the polo without restricting the shoulders. Use a soft bag that meets the entry rules, rather than a hard briefcase borrowed because it happens to be empty.

A cap can be useful for shade, provided it can be removed and carried when necessary. Sunglasses need protection from keys; a case that actually fits the glasses is preferable to wrapping them in the nearest piece of clothing. Small, well-chosen arrangements save a surprising amount of rummaging.

If you have hospitality

Establish where the facilities are and what their cloakroom provides. Keith Prowse's Lawn and Treehouse are outside the Grounds, while Rosewater Pavilion is inside; leaving something behind can therefore mean a different return journey. Check collection arrangements for your booking and keep ticket access, medication and anything required courtside with you.

A cloakroom does not remove the restrictions on the bag you take to the tennis. Decide what will travel onward before you arrive. The hospitality guide considers the clothes and the movement between the two parts of the day.

The last check is a physical one

Fill the bag and carry it for a few minutes. Reach for the ticket, put on the outer layer, and check whether a bottle is pressing against something delicate. Adjust the strap with the weight inside. A bag's capacity and its comfort are different measurements, and only one is printed on the label.

Leave a little room if your requirements allow it. A programme occupies very little space when you buy it and rather more significance later, once a name or score on the page belongs to a day you remember.