The All England Open is the world's oldest major badminton tournament, first held in 1899.
The tournament began at the London Scottish Rifles’ drill hall in Buckingham Gate, London. Its original event included men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles; singles events were added the following year. The competition became a prestigious annual meeting for leading players from Britain and, increasingly, the rest of the world.
The All England Open is part of the modern BWF World Tour and is classified as a Super 1000 event, one of the highest levels below the Olympic Games and the BWF World Championships. Its long history gives it a special place in badminton culture.
It is not the same as the World Championships, which began in 1977, or the Thomas and Uber Cups, which are national team competitions. “All England” describes the tournament's historic title and venue tradition, not a restriction that only English players may enter.