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The national stadium of English football and the largest sports venue in the country, Wembley Stadium in northwest London is an arena of enormous symbolic importance, the setting for cup finals, international fixtures and great occasions of sport and entertainment. The present stadium, holding around ninety thousand spectators, opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley, the iconic ground famous for its twin towers that had staged the nation's footballing showpieces since 1923 and hosted the World Cup final won by England in 1966. The old towers were demolished to make way for the new arena, whose defining feature is a vast steel arch rising more than a hundred metres above the pitch, spanning the entire structure and visible across much of the city, a landmark that has replaced the towers as the symbol of the venue. Designed as a flexible national stadium, it hosts the finals of the major domestic cup competitions, England's home internationals, and, in seasons when other grounds are unavailable, club matches, as well as some of the largest concerts and events staged in the country, its retractable roof sheltering spectators while leaving the pitch open to the sky. Tours on non-event days take visitors through the dressing rooms, the players' tunnel and up to lift the cup, accompanied by displays on the venue's storied history. Tickets for events and tours are best booked online in advance, and the stadium hosts occasions throughout the year across the seasons of the calendar. The great arch that spans the stadium was conceived partly as an engineering solution, supporting the weight of the roof without the need for internal pillars that would have obstructed spectators' views, and partly as a deliberate symbol to replace the much-loved twin towers of the old ground, whose demolition was mourned by many supporters. Brilliantly lit at night, the arch has become a familiar feature of the skyline and a point of pride for the venue. Beyond its footballing role, the stadium ranks among the busiest concert arenas in the country, drawing the biggest names in music to perform before vast crowds, and it has hosted a range of other sports and spectacles. The behind-the-scenes tour allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of players and performers, walking the tunnel, sitting in the dressing rooms and climbing the steps to the royal box where trophies are presented, an experience that brings the great occasions staged here vividly to life and explains the enduring emotional pull of the national stadium.