NFL London 2026: Travel and Hospitality Guide

Three Sundays in October, London becomes an NFL city. Not in the diluted, exhibition sense it once was, but properly: two stadiums, five franchises, and a crowd that arrives four hours early because the pre-game is half the point.

If you are flying in for one of these games, the football is the easy part. What decides whether the trip is a pleasure or a scramble is everything around it, and almost none of that is obvious from abroad. This guide covers the three 2026 fixtures, the genuine differences between the two venues, how to reach them, and how to build a London stay that does not revolve around a stadium queue.

All fixture details below were checked against official sources on 2 August 2026. Kick-off times and dates can change; confirm against the NFL's international games page before you travel.

What this guide covers

• The three fixtures
• Tottenham or Wembley: the real differences
• Getting there from central and east London
• When to arrive, and why it is earlier than you think
• What you can take into the stadium
• Where to stay
• Making a week of it
• Questions we are asked most

The three fixtures

Three games across three consecutive Sundays, all with a 14:30 BST kick-off:

Date	Fixture	Venue
Sunday 4 October 2026	Indianapolis Colts v Washington Commanders	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Sunday 11 October 2026	Philadelphia Eagles v Jacksonville Jaguars	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Sunday 18 October 2026	Jacksonville Jaguars v Houston Texans	Wembley Stadium

Two details worth noting. The Jaguars appear twice, once as the visiting side and once as the designated home team at Wembley, which is a quirk of their long-standing London commitment rather than an error. And the 14:30 kick-off is a concession to American broadcast schedules: it makes for a civilised London day, with the whole evening still ahead of you.

Tottenham or Wembley: the real differences

Visitors often assume the two venues are interchangeable. They are not, and if you have a choice of fixture, the venue is a legitimate reason to pick one over another.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Purpose-built for this. Beneath the natural grass pitch sits a full NFL-standard artificial surface, and the grass slides away in three sections beneath the South Stand in about 25 minutes. It is the only stadium in Europe built from the outset to host American football properly, and it shows in the details: the dressing rooms, the media facilities, the sightlines.

Capacity is 62,850, which is intimate by NFL standards and makes for a louder, more concentrated atmosphere than the number suggests. The food and drink operation is genuinely good, which is not a sentence one often writes about a stadium.

Wembley Stadium

Bigger, older in feel, and carrying an atmosphere the newer ground cannot manufacture. Wembley has hosted NFL games since 2007 and the walk down Olympic Way towards the arch is part of the experience. At roughly 90,000 seats it is a significantly larger crowd, which cuts both ways: more spectacle, more people between you and the exit.

	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium	Wembley Stadium
Capacity	62,850	≈90,000
Built for NFL	Yes, dedicated artificial surface	No, converted for each game
Atmosphere	Concentrated, loud	Vast, ceremonial
Closest station	White Hart Lane	Wembley Park
From Canary Wharf	One change	Direct on the Jubilee line
Food and drink	Exceptional for a stadium	Adequate, long queues at peak
Best for	First-time visitors wanting the modern experience	Groups wanting the occasion and the arch

Getting there

This is where staying in the right part of London earns its keep.

To Wembley, the closest station is Wembley Park, served by the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, with a short walk down Olympic Way to the stadium. Wembley Stadium (National Rail) and Wembley Central (Bakerloo and Overground) also serve the area and are usually quieter on the way out.

The Jubilee line detail matters: from Canary Wharf, Wembley Park is a direct ride with no changes at all. For a group carrying nothing heavier than a coat, that is about as simple as London transport gets.

To Tottenham, the nearest station is White Hart Lane, on the Overground from Liverpool Street, with Northumberland Park, Bruce Grove, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale all within reach. From Canary Wharf the practical route is the Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, then the Overground north. Allow around 45 minutes door to gate, more on the return.

A word on the return journey, which is the part visitors consistently underestimate. Sixty thousand people leave a stadium within twenty minutes of the final whistle. Either accept a wait of half an hour on the concourse with a drink, or arrange a car to collect from a set-down point at a distance from the ground. Our concierge arranges the latter, and it is the single request most likely to be made twice.

When to arrive

NFL London is not football. Gates open considerably earlier than for a Premier League match, and the crowd uses that time: tailgate-style entertainment, live music, fan zones and food that people plan around.

For a 14:30 kick-off, arriving at 12:00 or earlier is normal and recommended. If you are travelling with children, or if this is your first NFL London game, treat the pre-game as part of the ticket rather than something to skip. Guests who arrive at 14:15 having "avoided the queues" invariably say afterwards that they missed the best part of the day.

Confirm exact gate times on the official event page for your fixture, as they vary by game and by ticket type.

What you can take in

Both venues run strict bag policies, and this catches out more international visitors than any other rule.

Wembley's standard policy permits one small bag per person, no larger than A4 (210 × 210 × 297mm). Backpacks and suitcases are refused entry, and there is no official luggage storage at the stadium; paid bag-drop facilities operate near Wembley Park, with queues on busy days.

NFL games often operate their own policy, in some cases a clear-bag rule stricter than the venue's default. Check the official event page for your specific fixture rather than assuming the standard stadium rule applies.

The practical answer: travel to the stadium with as little as possible. If you are staying in a serviced apartment rather than a hotel, this is straightforward, because you are not carrying the day's shopping around with you.

Where to stay

Neither stadium sits in an area you would choose for a London holiday, which is precisely why the question of where to base yourself matters.

A hotel room near the ground solves one afternoon and compromises the rest of the week. The alternative is to stay somewhere you actually want to be, and treat the stadium as a day trip: a serviced apartment gives a family separate bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen for breakfast before a long day, and laundry, which after three days of walking is not a small thing.

Our residences are in Canary Wharf, which for this particular trip has an advantage that is more than coincidence: the Jubilee line runs direct from Canary Wharf to Wembley Park, and the Elizabeth line puts Liverpool Street six minutes away for the Tottenham route. For an American family of four or five, a two-bedroom apartment also compares favourably with two hotel rooms, before anyone has bought a breakfast.

• The William Jessop — a two-bedroom sleeping up to seven, from £580 a night
• The John Cabot — a one-bedroom with Thames and skyline aspect, from £427
• The Mellish Residence — a light-filled one-bedroom with a balcony, from £275

Two take single-night stays, which suits a short trip built around one game. See our Canary Wharf executive accommodation guide for the district in detail.

Making a week of it

Three consecutive Sundays creates an option most visitors miss: rather than three separate trips, or one weekend and a long flight home, build a single stay around two games a week apart and use the days between for London.

That middle week is where the trip becomes a holiday rather than an errand. The city is at its best in October: the crowds of summer have gone, the light is good, and restaurant tables that are impossible in July are available on a Tuesday.

If you are extending the stay, our bleisure and extended-stay guide covers living in London for a fortnight rather than a weekend, and the O2 Arena night-out guide covers the other great east London venue, three minutes from Canary Wharf on the Jubilee line.

A matchday, hour by hour

A workable shape for a 14:30 kick-off, adjusted to your fixture:

• 09:00 — Breakfast in the apartment. Nobody wants a stadium queue on an empty stomach.
• 10:30 — Leave for the ground. Direct to Wembley Park, or Elizabeth line and Overground for Tottenham.
• 11:45 — Arrive. Fan zone, food, and the walk in while it is still calm.
• 13:45 — Take your seats. The build-up is worth watching from inside.
• 14:30 — Kick-off.
• 17:45 — Final whistle. Wait twenty minutes rather than joining the crush, or meet a pre-arranged car.
• 20:00 — Dinner back in town, at a civilised hour, because a 14:30 kick-off leaves the evening intact.

Questions we are asked most

Are the three games part of one ticket? No. Each fixture is sold separately. If you want to attend more than one, they must be arranged individually.

Which game should I choose if I only want one? If you want the modern, purpose-built experience, either Tottenham fixture. If you want the scale and ceremony of Wembley, the 18 October game. If transport simplicity matters most, Wembley is the direct Jubilee ride.

Do you sell tickets? No. We are a London serviced-apartment company. Where guests would like to attend, we source seating or hospitality per enquiry through established providers and confirm the supplier, the terms and the price in writing before anything is booked. See VIP Sport Experiences for how that works.

How early should I book accommodation? For these October dates, as early as you can. London accommodation around NFL weekends tightens months ahead, and the good two-bedroom options go first.

Is it suitable for children? Yes, and NFL London is notably more family-friendly than a Premier League fixture: the atmosphere is celebratory rather than partisan, and the long pre-game suits children better than a sudden three o'clock kick-off.

Can the dates change? Fixtures and kick-off times can be adjusted, though NFL international dates are more stable than football, which moves regularly for broadcast. We confirm before you commit to travel.

What is the weather like in October? Variable and worth planning for: roughly 10–15°C, with a real chance of rain. Both stadiums have covered seating in most areas, but the walk to and from is exposed.

Planning a visit

Tell us which game you are considering, when you would like to arrive and who is travelling. We will suggest a residence that suits the group, and coordinate the rest of the visit around it — transfers, dining and the sporting arrangements.

For the wider picture, see The Complete Guide to VIP Sport Experiences in London, and for everything else happening this autumn, The London Sporting Calendar: August to December 2026.

Plan your experience, or ask our AI concierge for an initial view. Every request is personally reviewed, and availability and pricing are confirmed before anything is booked.

Fixtures, venues and kick-off times verified 2 August 2026 against the NFL and venue sources. Sporting schedules can change; always confirm before booking travel.