Thousands to see Olympic Games on ‘Henman Hill’ giant screens

Inspiration: the real Henman Hill at Wimbledon, blueprint for a similar scheme at the Olympics

12 April 2012

Tens of thousands of people will be able to watch Olympic Games action on giant TV screens at London 2012's equivalent of "Henman Hill" under a low-cost scheme.

Holders of "ground" tickets costing just a few pounds will also be able to roam the Olympic Park and enjoy the Games atmosphere.

They will not gain access to venues but will be texted at short notice if a seat becomes available in one of the park arenas as someone leaves early.

The free "upgrades" idea is borrowed from a similar ticket recycling scheme at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Organising committee Locog said there will be "tens of thousands" of tickets per day for the first week, with numbers then reducing when the park fills up as athletics events begin.

Paul Williamson , Locog head of ticketing, told the London Assembly: "We intend to put park tickets on sale later in 2011 as the sports tickets will go on sale first."

The bulk of 8.8 million tickets, expected to raise £400 million, will go on sale in March, with 75 per cent available to the public. Of these, "many thousands" will be made available at the last minute or on the day of the event through box offices in the five Olympic boroughs and the venues.

Around 1.9 million people have registered for tickets since Games chiefs asked the public to sign up nine months ago so they could assess interest levels. About two-thirds of the demand is from London and the South-East.

Mr Williamson said: "We will get a lot of people from overseas but we still think the core will come from around London. That is normal for a big event here. For most big sports events, those travelling up to an hour-and-a-half are the most likely ticket purchasers."

The public will pay face value for tickets and there will be no booking fees, although payment will have to be made with a card from Olympic sponsor Visa, cheque or postal order.

Mr Williamson added: "We have worked with the Met on closing down websites purporting to sell London 2012 tickets and we will work with them on known touts. We face challenges online and across the world because this is about international crime and fraud."