A Show Rooted in Real Places
When Ted Lasso returned to Apple TV in early August after a three-year hiatus, it brought back not only Jason Sudeikis's mustachioed coach and the ensemble cast that made the show a surprise hit, but also a handful of London locations that have quietly become characters in their own right. The fourth season picks up with Ted back from Kansas City, this time coaching the women's team as the sport gains momentum. And while the football club itself is fictional, the streets, pubs, and stadiums where the story unfolds are very much real.
The show has always leaned on Richmond, a leafy borough in southwest London, to ground its narrative. Unlike many productions that rely on soundstages or composite locations, Ted Lasso shoots in places visitors can walk into, sit down in, and sometimes even watch a match. That accessibility has turned casual fans into pilgrims, and the show's return is likely to draw a fresh wave of curiosity about where, exactly, these scenes come to life.
The Prince's Head: A Pub with Two Names
The Crown & Anchor, the cozy pub where Ted and his team gather after wins and losses alike, doesn't exist under that name. In reality, it's The Prince's Head, a traditional British pub at 28 The Green in Richmond. The exterior and interior shots both come from this spot, which sits just off Richmond High Street and overlooks the green space that gives the area its name.
The pub has become a low-key landmark for fans of the show. On match days or quiet afternoons, it's not uncommon to see visitors ordering a pint and soaking in the atmosphere that the show has made familiar to millions. The building itself is unremarkable in the best way: red brick, hanging flower baskets, and a corner location that makes it feel like the kind of place locals would actually frequent. That ordinariness is part of the appeal. It's not dressed up or overly picturesque, just a working pub that happens to be on television.
Richmond Green: Twelve Acres of Breathing Room
Directly across from The Prince's Head lies Richmond Green, a 12-acre expanse of grass that has served as backdrop for outdoor scenes throughout the series. The green is one of those rare urban spaces that feels genuinely open, bordered by Georgian townhouses and mature trees that provide shade in summer. It's a popular spot for picnics, impromptu cricket games, and dog walkers, and it hosts seasonal events including a May Fair and a Victorian-themed evening market in December.
The green's role in the show is mostly atmospheric, a place where characters walk, talk, or decompress. But its presence reinforces the series' commitment to a specific sense of place. Richmond is not central London; it's quieter, more residential, and the green is a big part of what makes it feel that way. For travelers, it's an easy stop on the District line and a reminder that London's appeal often lies beyond its most famous landmarks.
The Rivoli Ballroom: A Time Capsule in Brockley
One of the more unexpected locations to appear in the first season, and likely to resurface in later episodes, is the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, southeast London. This is not a typical filming location. Built in the 1950s, the venue has retained nearly all of its original features: red velvet walls, Chinese lanterns, ornate chandeliers, and a ceiling painted in shades of gold and yellow that would look garish anywhere else but somehow works here.
The Rivoli is one of the last intact ballrooms of its kind in the UK, and it's still used for events, dance classes, and private hires. It's also appeared in music videos, fashion shoots, and other film projects, but Ted Lasso introduced it to a much wider audience. The ballroom is located at 350 Brockley Road, with Crofton Park the nearest train station. It's a bit of a trek from Richmond, but for anyone interested in mid-century design or spaces that resist modernization, it's worth the trip.
Paved Court: A Side Street with Character
Paved Court is a narrow alleyway in Richmond lined with independent shops, cafes, and boutiques. It connects Richmond Green to the surrounding streets and has appeared in various outdoor scenes throughout the series. The lane itself is nothing grand, just a pedestrian passage with hanging signs and potted plants, but it adds texture to the show's vision of Richmond as a place where people walk, browse, and run into each other.
For visitors, Paved Court is easy to miss if you're not looking for it. But it's the kind of detail that makes the show feel lived-in rather than staged. The shops change, the awnings wear out, and life continues whether or not cameras are rolling.
SkyEX Community Stadium: Where the Training Happens
The training ground and stadium scenes are shot at the SkyEX Community Stadium in Hayes, west London. In real life, this is home to Hayes & Yeading United Football Club, a semi-professional team that plays in the Isthmian League. Tickets to watch a match cost around £12, making it one of the more affordable live football experiences in the capital.
The stadium isn't flashy. It's a functional venue with modest stands and a pitch that sees regular use by a club that doesn't attract the crowds of the Premier League but maintains a loyal local following. That authenticity is part of what makes it work for the show. AFC Richmond is meant to be a mid-tier club with history and heart, not a glamorous operation, and the SkyEX stadium fits that profile.
For fans of the show who also want to see lower-league football in England, a trip to Hayes offers both. The atmosphere is more relaxed than a top-flight match, the crowd is smaller, and the experience feels closer to the grassroots spirit the show occasionally gestures toward.
Why These Places Matter
What ties these locations together is not their grandeur but their specificity. Richmond is not a stand-in for "London" in the abstract; it's a distinct part of the city with its own rhythm and character. The Prince's Head is not a Hollywood version of a British pub; it's an actual pub that serves actual pints. The Rivoli Ballroom is not a set; it's a 70-year-old venue that has survived because people kept using it.
That commitment to real places gives the show a texture that's harder to achieve on a soundstage. It also makes the experience of visiting these locations more satisfying. You're not just seeing where something was filmed; you're stepping into the same space the characters inhabit, and that space exists whether or not the cameras are there.
As the fourth season unfolds through its October finale, these locations will continue to anchor the story. And for travelers who want to trace the show's footsteps, the route is straightforward: a pub, a green, a ballroom, a side street, and a stadium. All within reach, all open to visitors, and all part of a London that doesn't always make it onto the tourist maps.
