Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park · London E20 3HB · Capacity 7,500
Copper Box: a small arena with a big park around it
Seven and a half thousand people is an easy crowd. What is not easy is that the Copper Box sits in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, so the walk between your seat and a vehicle is the same as it would be for a stadium three times the size.
Seats, against the London Stadium's sixty-two thousand a few hundred metres away. Same park, same walk, a fraction of the crowd. That combination makes this one of the easiest London venues to get away.
Four things that come from the location, not the size
Everything about the Copper Box follows from the fact that it is in a park rather than on a street.
10 to 15 minutes
Between the arena and any point a vehicle can stop. That does not shrink because the crowd is smaller.
Paths, not roads
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is pedestrian by design. Routes curve, and the direct line on a map is often not walkable.
It clears fast
Seven thousand people disperse in minutes rather than the twenty it takes a stadium. You will be moving quickly.
Check the stadium
If the London Stadium has an event the same evening, the park operates on its timings rather than yours.
What the Copper Box hosts
A genuinely varied programme, and the crowd changes completely between them.
| Event | Typical finish | Note |
|---|---|---|
| London Lions basketball | 21:30 | Family crowd, quick exit, easy evening. |
| Boxing and combat sport | Late, and variable | Undercards drift. Plan a wider return window. |
| Netball internationals | 21:00 | Punctual and orderly. The easiest bookings we take here. |
| Badminton and indoor sport | Varies | Often daytime sessions rather than evenings. |
| Concerts and one-off shows | 22:30 | Rare, but the room works well for them. |
| Corporate and community events | Daytime | Straightforward, and cheap from Kent. |
One of our shortest London runs
Stratford is the closest part of inner London to Kent by road. The A2 and the tunnels feed almost directly into it.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 24 miles | 50–75 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 20 miles | 45–70 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 13 miles | 35–60 min |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 14 miles | 35–60 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 16 miles | 40–65 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 30 miles | 60–85 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 33 miles | 60–90 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 36 miles | 65–95 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 60 miles | 90–120 min |
Getting it right in the Olympic Park
Agree the gate, not the postcode
E20 3HB puts a satnav somewhere in a very large park. What matters is which perimeter exit you use, because they lead to completely different parts of east London. For a Kent-bound journey the southern side towards the A118 and the A12 is the one you want, and we set that before you go in.
Check what else is on
The Copper Box shares the park with the London Stadium. On a night when both are running, the traffic management, the closures and the crowd are governed by the bigger venue entirely. When the stadium is dark, this is one of the calmest venues in London to leave.
Westfield is right there
Stratford City sits at the eastern edge of the park, which makes an earlier drop for food genuinely practical. Given how close Stratford is to Kent, leaving early enough to eat properly costs almost nothing in travel time.
It suits families and small groups
Basketball and netball crowds are largely families, and a seven-thousand-seat room does not overwhelm anyone. An MPV or eight-seater covers most bookings here, and the fare split across a family is small.
Copper Box Arena questions
Mostly about the park rather than the arena.
How close can a car get to the Copper Box?
Not very. The arena sits inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is laid out with pedestrian paths rather than roads. Expect a ten to fifteen minute walk to any point a vehicle can legally stop, and we agree which perimeter gate you will use before you go in.
Is it the same as the London Stadium?
No, though they share the park. The Copper Box holds around seven and a half thousand and the stadium holds sixty-two thousand. If both have events on the same evening, the park runs on the stadium's timings.
How long does it take from Kent?
Under an hour from most of north and west Kent. Around fifty minutes from Gravesend, thirty-five from Bexleyheath. Stratford is the closest part of inner London to us by road.
How quickly does it clear after an event?
Quickly. Seven thousand people disperse in a few minutes rather than the twenty it takes a full stadium, so you are usually walking on clear paths.
Can we eat at Westfield first?
Yes, and it works well. Stratford City is at the eastern edge of the park. An earlier drop costs nothing extra when it is built into the quote.
Do you cover boxing nights here?
Yes. Fight cards drift more than any other event, so we plan a wider return window and the driver waits without the fare changing.
Is it suitable for a family booking?
Very. Basketball and netball crowds are largely families and the room is small enough not to overwhelm children. An MPV or eight-seater covers most bookings.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. Traffic, a late finish or a slow walk out do not change what you pay.
Nearby venues and guides
East London is our easiest corner of the city.