Wembley Stadium is one of the biggest venues in the world, with over two million visitors every year. With that being so, it’s housed some of the UK’s best cultural events.
Wembley is just a short train ride away from central London and over the decades, some of the world’s biggest stars have crossed its threshold, and it’s been the setting to some of the most memorable sporting events. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most iconic moments.
Live Aid 1985
Sir Bob Geldof organised a huge fundraising concert at Wembley back in 1985. He was reportedly outraged at the famine in Ethiopia and wanted to help. He gathered a group of legendary performers for the event, including Davie Bowie, U2, The Who, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and even Queen. Freddie Mercury, Queen’s lead singer, led a twenty-two-minute set and stole the show. Lead singers still talk about his fantastic performance at Live Aid today.
England wins the world cup 1966
Wembley Stadium has had its fair share of outstanding sporting events. But the stand-out event is undoubtedly the 1966 Word Cup when England finally won the tournament and is remembered as one of the most legendary matches in UK football history. Bobby Moore led the England team, and they beat West Germany in the tiebreaker.
Beyonce plays at Wembley 2016
The world famous Beyonce played at Wembley Stadium in 2016 on her Formation World Tour. Despite selling out both shows, the papers weren’t talking about her show-stopping performance, but the empty seats that littered the venue. The 90,000-capacity stadium was left looking noticeably empty throughout the show and it was later reported that ticket touts had bought thousands of tickets and failed to sell them for extortionate prices.
London Olympics 2012
Wembley hosted numerous events at the London Olympics in 2012. It hosted several gold medal men and women’s football matches throughout the Olympics. In men’s football, Mexico won the gold, followed by Brazil and South Korea. While in the women’s division, the US earned the gold, followed by Japan and Canada. Wembley is now the second-largest Olympic venue and an iconic global landmark.
Evel Knievel attempts to jump 13 London buses
Evel Knievel was the ultimate daredevil and has made multiple record-breaking jumps in the US. However, his fame and success ultimately came from his epic wipe-outs. In 1975, he attempted to jump 13 London buses on his motorcycle. Unfortunately, he suffered a horrendous crash after failing to clear the final bus. He broke a hand, two vertebrae and the left side of his pelvis. Ouch!
Wembley Stadium will definitely go down in British history as the home of our favourite cultural events and it’s definitely worth a visit just to walk in the same footsteps of some of the world’s much loved stars.