A chorus of concern is being raised about the high-ticket prices causing low attendances at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham (UK).
High Food Prices
‘The Guardian’ stated that the fans have also criticized the high food prices at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham with a barbecue pork roll costing £18.50, a bratwurst hot dog £15 and a bottle of water £3.95.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships is a major seven-day track and field competition underway from August 10th and will conclude on August 16th, 2026, at the newly redeveloped Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, United Kingdom. This marks the first time in the 92-year history of the event that a British city has hosted the championships.
The 23,000-seat Alexander Stadium is an athletics stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is the largest athletics stadium in the United Kingdom.
Barely Half-full
‘The Guardian’ further stated that officially there were more than 13,000 fans in the stadium on August 10th to see Amy Hunt’s (British sprinter) 100m gold medal. But to most observers the 23,000-capacity venue looked barely half-full. The timing is also more than a little awkward given that London’s bid team for the World Athletics Championships in 2029 is due to make its final presentation on August 14th.
The World Athletics Championships, known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics until 2019, are a biennial athletics competition organized by the World Athletics.
Monaco-based World Athletics (WA), formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and the International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics covering track and field, cross-country running, road running, race walking, mountain running, and ultra running.
The 2029 World Athletics Championships is the upcoming biennial global flagship track-and-field competition organized by the World Athletics.
Ticket Prices
For the start of the competition the Category A tickets in the main stand cost £110 with the Category B tickets coming in at £90. However, those seats have been better filled than the cheaper seats for £60 (Category C) and £40 (Category D).
Hunt’s agent, Nick Harwell, wrote after her brilliant victory on August 10th, “Crazy prices. Such a shame.”
Thin Crowd
Steve Cram, the BBC’s main Athletics Commentator and a former world 1500m champion, also acknowledged the low figures on August 10th, “A little disappointing in terms of the spectators, I have to say that. Particularly down the back straight there. There’s not very many people at all in those stands.”
Park-and-ride Scheme
In the Birmingham City Centre there is also little sign that this prestigious event is taking place and the empty seats in the £60 and £40 areas have led some to question whether Birmingham 2026 had done enough to attract the casual supporters. The fans are being charged £22.50 to use the park‑and‑ride scheme –although there is a cheaper £17.50 park‑and‑walk option which is a 45‑minute stroll away.
Jenny Meadows, who coaches Keely Hodgkinson (English middle-distance runner), acknowledged the issues in a post on X: “Hearing from the fans re high ticket prices, the parking issues and even people not knowing it was taking place.”
‘Close to Capacity’
A Birmingham 2026 spokesperson defended the ticket prices and said that 50 percent of the tickets were priced at £30 and lower with the adult tickets starting at £10 – “Birmingham 2026 is delighted with the ticket sales for the championships which have far surpassed our targets. The Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening sessions are approaching sellout with several other sessions close to capacity. There are still opportunities to be part of the championships at incredibly good value including the ‘Mondo’ £6.31 children’s ticket for Friday morning – named in honor of [the pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis’s] world record – while a family of four can attend for as little as £30.”
‘Shocking Prices’
However, the athletics commentator Sonja McLaughlan spoke for many when she posted on X about the prices which will go up to a top price of £150 for the last three days of competition – “Actually a bit shocked at the type of prices being charged. It’s a shame for the athletes who deserve better. The sport has this precious window without football, free-to-air television exposure and it looks flat with such a sparse crowd.”
Empty Seats
In response to her post some questioned why the empty seats were not being given away free to the youngsters in the athletics clubs and the other sports clubs.
Another fan said, “Perhaps the worst prices I’ve seen at a sporting event. Not even Cheltenham (town in England) competes with this.”
Late Finishes
Some have also raised questions about the late finishes – the last events finish after 9.50 pm – and the suitability for families of having to walk a mile to the nearest train station or get a bus back to a park-and-ride scheme. It also did not help either that on the night of August 10th, Junction 10-11 of the M6, near the Alexander -Stadium, was closed.
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