This summer, residents and visitors can soak up the excitement of The Championships in London’s Borough of Sport by visiting free outdoor big screens in Merton’s parks. 

Merton Council and the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) are once again partnering to bring big screens to local parks, giving residents across the borough the chance to enjoy the tennis tournament together.  

This year, outdoor screens will return to Canons House and Grounds in Mitcham and Morden Park from 4 July to 13 July. The Council has also secured an additional big screen, in partnership with AELTC, to be placed in Wandle Park from 6 July to 13 July. This means that residents across the borough will have screens near them where they can enjoy the atmosphere of The Championships with their family and friends this summer.  

Each park will feature a 20-square-metre, high-definition screen, showing matches daily from the start of play until the parks’ closing time. Entry is free and there’s no booking needed – for seating a limited number of deckchairs will be available, so visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket with them. 

A key part of the council’s Borough of Sport ambition is working to break down barriers to sport so that everyone, regardless of their background or experience, can be active. As host borough of The Championships, the opportunity to provide screens for residents to watch sport and experience the excitement of being amongst the crowd is part of growing pride in Merton and inspiring physical activity. 

Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah, Cabinet Member for Sport and Heritage, said: 

We’re delighted to once again bring the excitement of The Championships to residents across Merton and beyond. This historic tennis tournament is a key part of our Borough of Sport’s rich sporting heritage, and our partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club allows us to celebrate that legacy while inspiring more people in our borough to get active and involved in sport. The big screens offer a fantastic opportunity for Merton’s whole community to come together, enjoy world-class tennis, and be part of a global event right here on their doorstep. 

Better will be running pop up tennis taster sessions at Canons House and Grounds and Morden Park. There will also be special screenings of A Bug’s Life and Finding Nemo on the mornings of the finals weekend (12-13 July).  

Ulrika Hogberg, Head of Community Strategy at AELTC, added: 

There is no doubt that Merton’s Borough of Sport campaign is a fantastic way of bringing people together to take part and to enjoy sport. We’re proud to be supporting the Borough of Sport ambition and for being part of Wimbledon, and Merton, since the very beginning of the Club. We want Wimbledon to be for everyone, and we hope that residents right across the borough are able to enjoy the various screening experiences on offer and join in on the excitement of Wimbledon, whether at Canon’s House in Mitcham, in Morden Park or at Wandle Park in Colliers Wood.

This event is part of a summer-long programme of sport across Merton, with even more big screen action to enjoy. This includes screenings of the UEFA European Women’s Championships, London Athletics Diamond League, Women’s and Men’s T20 Blast Finals Day (cricket), Rugby Women’s World Cup, Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, Golf PGA Championship and more.  

Stay up to date with all the events happening this summer at merton.gov.uk/boroughofsport.