Olympic Park Parking: Guide to Costs, Maps & Booking

If you’ve ever circled Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on a match day, watching the multi-storey fill up while wondering whether that side street is even legal—you’re not alone. Parking around Stratford is notoriously tight, and the official car park enforces strict rules about who can actually use it. This guide lays out exactly where to park, what it’ll cost, and which shortcuts actually work.

Multi-storey car park spaces: 1,100 · Blue badge parking: Car Park 1A, stewarded · Sydney casual parking rate: $7 per hour · Sydney daily max: $35 · Pre-booking advised: To guarantee space

The table below summarizes key parking details for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with current rates and locations based on official sources.

Is there free parking at Olympic Park?

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s multi-storey car park does not offer free parking for general visitors, but there are narrow windows where charges are waived. The official site specifies that vehicles exiting within 5 minutes of arrival are not charged, and Blue Badge holders park entirely free when using the designated bays in Car Park 1A.

Street parking options

Street parking in the surrounding Stratford streets is metered and strictly enforced. The area falls under Newham Council’s zone, and exceeding paid time limits risks a fine. There is no free street parking within immediate walking distance of the park.

Nearby free alternatives

No genuinely free parking exists within a 10-minute walk of the park. Some visitors report parking at Tesco Bromley-by-Bow and walking the 20–25 minutes to the park, though the car park there carries its own daily rate. Parkopedia provides maps of on-street options further out.

Where to park for Olympic Park?

The primary option is the multi-storey car park in the north of the park, operated under the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park banner. It holds 1,100 vehicles and is the only official on-site parking. For accessible parking, Car Park 1A near the south-west corner of the stadium provides dedicated bays with stewarded access.

Multi-storey car park details

• The multi-storey sits on the north side of the park, clearly signposted from the A12 approach roads.
• Entry and exit barriers operate on a card-only payment system—no cash accepted.
• Spaces are available on a first-come basis; the car park cannot be pre-booked by general visitors.
• Season tickets are not sold here; the facility serves daily park and venue visitors only.

Blue badge parking at Car Park 1A

• Car Park 1A is the designated accessible parking zone, located near the stadium’s south-west corner.
• Blue Badge holders enter at no charge, provided they display a valid badge.
• These bays cannot be reserved in advance—availability is same-day only.
• A steward is present to assist with access and direct badge holders to the nearest park entrance.

The implication is that casual visitors avoiding the ticketed venues should look elsewhere, as the penalty easily outweighs any perceived convenience.

How much is parking at Olympic Park?

Charges at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park multi-storey have not changed since March 4, 2017, when the park introduced its first post-Olympics pricing. Non-members pay £2.00 per hour up to a £20.00 maximum, while members of the GLL Better scheme receive steeper discounts.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park rates

• Non-members: £2.00 per hour, capped at £20.00 per visit.
• Better (GLL) members: £1.00 for the first hour, up to £5.00 for stays of 3–5 hours.
• Free morning window: no charge between 5:30am and 7:00am.
• Non-venue users (those who park but do not enter a ticketed attraction): £45 fine minimum, rising to £49.50 in some enforcement cases.

Sydney Olympic Park rates

• Casual hourly rate: $7 per hour.
• Daily maximum: $35 per calendar day.
• Pre-booking available through the Sydney Olympic Park website to guarantee a space during busy periods.
• These figures reflect rates published on the New South Wales government site.

The pattern shows London rates have remained stable for years, while Sydney pricing follows a different structure with no member discounts.

How to pay for parking at Olympic Park?

Payment at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is card-only at the barrier. Cash is not accepted, and the system requires a contactless or chip card to exit. For Sydney Olympic Park, a broader range of payment methods applies, and pre-booking through the website is recommended for event days.

Payment methods

• London: debit card, credit card, or contactless payment on exit. Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted.
• Sydney: card and mobile payment options, including the park’s own pre-booking portal.

Pre-booking process

• Pre-booking is not available at the London multi-storey for general visitors—it operates on a walk-up basis only.
• For Sydney, the pre-booking system lets visitors reserve a space in advance, which is useful during major events when demand spikes.
• Pre-booking guarantees a space but does not discount the rate; it simply removes the uncertainty of finding a spot.

What this means: visitors without contactless payment should withdraw cash beforehand or link a card to Apple Pay/Google Pay before arrival.

Where to park for free near Olympic Park?

True free parking within walking distance of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park does not exist. The nearest public alternatives charge their own fees, and the park’s own lots explicitly target venue visitors. The practical options are either pay the official rate, use a public car park, or factor in a longer walk.

Alternatives to official parking

• Westfield Stratford City: Over 5,000 spaces in the shopping centre car park. Charged by duration, but often more available on event days when the park’s lots fill fast.
• Stratford International Station: 850 spaces, open 24/7, pay-on-exit. Standard rate up to £9.50 per day; event days cost significantly more at £28.75.
• Stratford Multi-Storey (Newham Council): 430 spaces managed by the council, available to the general public. Up to 1 hour costs £2.90; overnight stays are £8.00 flat. Disabled badge holders must still pay here.

Proximity to stations

• Stratford station (Tube and rail) is a 10-minute walk from the park’s south entrance.
• Stratford International is closer to the north entrance but requires using the DLR or rail link.
• Parking at a station and completing the journey by public transport is a viable alternative for those unwilling to circle for a space.

How to park at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Whether you’re heading to a swim session at the Aquatics Centre or catching a concert at the Copper Box, here’s the practical sequence for getting your car parked without surprises.

1. Check the event calendar first. If a major event is on at the London Stadium, the multi-storey fills early. Consider an alternative car park before you leave—Stratford International or Westfield Stratford City are both within 15 minutes on foot.
2. Approach from the A12. Signage directs traffic to the multi-storey car park from the eastbound A12. The car park entrance is on the north side of the park, clearly marked.
3. Know your badge status. Blue Badge holders should head to Car Park 1A near the stadium’s south-west corner. General visitors proceed to the multi-storey on the north side.
4. Pay on exit only. The system calculates your stay from entry to exit. Keep your entry ticket or ticket confirmation to a minimum—the barrier will compute the charge automatically.
5. Have a card ready. Payment is collected at the barrier on exit. No cash, no app, no voucher. Contactless and mobile payments are accepted.
6. Verify your venue visit. The car park is monitored against venue entry. If you park but do not present a valid event ticket or attraction entry, the £45 minimum charge applies.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Official Site) states the car parks are for venue users only, and non-venue users will be charged £45.

The catch: drivers who forget their event ticket or leave the park without visiting a ticketed attraction risk a penalty that dwarfs the parking fee itself.

The parking landscape around Stratford

Three distinct car parks serve the Stratford area, each with its own pricing model and audience. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park multi-storey targets park and venue visitors with a strict venue-only enforcement policy. The Stratford Multi-Storey run by Newham Council serves general shoppers and commuters on a public basis, with no entry restrictions beyond payment. Stratford International offers 850 spaces in a 24/7 non-barriered setup with pay-on-exit, attracting commuters and event-goers alike.

The implication is straightforward: casual visitors who are not attending a ticketed attraction at the park are financially better served using Westfield Stratford City or the Stratford Multi-Storey, even if the walk is longer. The £45 penalty for non-venue users at the QEOP lots exists precisely to deter casual commuter parking.

Newham Council (Local Authority) confirms Stratford Multi-Storey charges up to 1 hour for £2.90, with disabled badge holders required to pay the standard rate unlike at the park’s own Car Park 1A.

What this means in practice: budget for the official car park if you’re attending an event, bring a card and a ticket, and plan your route to avoid circling a full lot. For those visiting the park without a specific venue destination, the nearby public alternatives are both cheaper and more reliable—avoiding the risk of an unexpected penalty charge.

Related reading: David Jones Highpoint – Hours, Location, Parking Guide · Coles Brighton Le Sands: Parking, Hours, Quiet Hour

Concertgoers at Qudos Bank Arena within Sydney Olympic Park should review the Qudos Bank Arena parking guide for event-specific costs, maps and advance booking to avoid peak shortages.

Frequently asked questions