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Olympic Stadium - London 2012 Olympics

The Olympic Stadium is the focal point of the London Olympic 2012 & in the centre of the Olympic Park.

Olympic Stadium is the venue for the 24 track events (12 for men, 12 for women) over distances ranging from 100m to 10,000m. Some events will also feature obstacles to negotiate, as in the 400m Hurdles and the 3000m Steeplechase. The majority of track events begin with one or more rounds of heats, with the best athletes eventually qualifying for the final. It will host the Opening Ceremony, the Athletics which is the biggest Sports Section, and finally the Closing Ceremony.

The Olympic Stadium will be located in the south of the Olympic Park on an ‘island’ site, surrounded by waterways on three sides. Spectators will reach the venue via five bridges that link the site to the surrounding area.

The Stadium will have a capacity of 80,000 during the Games: 25,000 permanent seats in its permanent lower tier, and a temporary lightweight steel and concrete upper tier holding a further 55,000 spectators that can be removed after the Games.
 
Facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a ‘podium’ that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself.

Travel to the Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium is at the heart of the Olympic Park, which is a 2.5 sq km site in Stratford, east London, providing a purpose-built and easily accessible centre stage for the Games.

It is well-served by public transport with Stratford and Stratford International stations on the east side of the Park and West Ham station to the south.

The Olympic Park will be open to spectators at least 90 minutes before the first session of the day begins.The venues within the Park are: the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Water Polo Arena, Basketball Arena, Handball Arena, Velodrome, BMX Track, Hockey Centre and Eton Manor. Information on the opening times of individual venues will be made available closer to the Games.

As you approach the venue, please follow any signs showing the way or directions given to you by transport staff and volunteers.

The transport network to the Olympic Park will be extremely busy, so while it is best to plan your journey in advance, remember to check for any last minute changes before you travel.

Accessibility
Stratford, Stratford International and West Ham stations are all step-free with staff assistance available. It is recommended that people with accessibility needs use Stratford and Stratford International, as West Ham station is approximately 1.6km from the venue’s entrance.

The venue is served by local bus services. London's buses have low floors and provide audio and visual information. There is one wheelchair space per bus.
Wheelchair spaces can be booked at park-and-ride sites and on the 2012 Games coach services to the Olympic Park. Accessible parking spaces will be available at park-and-ride sites. The walking routes from the venue’s transport malls are step-free.

Limited, pre-booked parking will be provided close to the venue for disabled spectators who are UK Blue Badge holders or members of an equivalent national scheme. You will be able to book accessible parking once you have received confirmation of whether you have been allocated tickets, at which point further details will be available. Read more about accessible travel.

Getting to the Olympic Stadium

National Rail
There are three National Rail stations providing access to the Olympic Park: Stratford station, with direct train services from London and East Anglia; Stratford International station, with direct train services from London, Ebbsfleet and Kent; and, West Ham station, with direct trains from London and Essex.

National Rail services will run from London Liverpool Street to Stratford. If you are travelling from the north into London King’s Cross, London St. Pancras or London Euston stations, use the Javelin® service to Stratford International from London St. Pancras International. The Javelin® service will also run from Ebbsfleet in Kent.

London Underground
There are two recommended London Underground stations providing access to the Olympic Park: Stratford, on the Jubilee and Central lines, and West Ham on the District and Hammersmith & City lines. West Ham station is approximately 15 minutes walk from the entrance to the Olympic Park along a dedicated walkway.

DLR
The Olympic Park is served by the two lines of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), with stops at Stratford, Stratford International and West Ham stations. The DLR runs to Stratford from Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal stations in south-east London. From central London, get the DLR from Tower Gateway and change at Poplar.

London Overground
The North London Line on London Overground connects Richmond to Stratford and avoids central London. If travelling from south London, use the East London Line and change at Canonbury on to the North London Line to Stratford.