On Monday nite, around 10,000 seats at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium for the European Athletics Championships were vacant.
Amy Hunt, a 24-year-old sprinter from Britain, won her first senior international championship in front of 13,623 spectators in a stadium that can hold 23,000 people.
Supporters of Athletics attacked ticket costs, calling them “extortionate,” while BBC pundit Steve Cram said that the amount of spectators was “a little disappointing.”
European Athletics Championships Hit by Empty Seats in Birmingham
However, the organizers of Birmingham 2026 said that they were “delighted” with ticket sales, which “far surpassed” their goals, with “Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening sessions approaching sell-out, with several other sessions close to capacity.”
Tickets for the home straight in Category A on Monday are £150, with no junior discounts.
Those identical seats cost £110 for the men’s 100-meter final on Tuesday, with no discounts. Two years ago, a comparable ticket for the same final in Rome cost 88 euros (£75).
In its 92-year existence, Britain is hosting the championships for the first time.
Empty Seats and £18.50 Pork Rolls Spark Criticism
The organizers said that the Alexander Stadium was 55% full on Monday morning, 59% full during the evening, and 56% full on Tuesday morning.
“Believe it’s full for some final evenings but a shame we couldn’t fill the stadium for the duration,” Jenny Meadows, Keely Hodgkinson’s co-coach, wrote on social media.
“We must bid for more events but we must make it affordable, so we get to enjoy it first hand, fill stadiums, support our athletes, promote our country & inspire generations to come to love sport,” British Olympian Sharron Davies wrote on social media.
Davies also took issue with the stadium’s official food sellers charging £18.50 for pork buns and £15 for hot dogs.
Spectators Criticise Weekday Ticket Prices
On Monday nite, Chris Brown visited the stadium and took pictures of rows of vacant seats.
“I think they have the pricing for the weekdays a little off,” the 40-year-old stated in an interview with the news.
The majority of fans have purchased the affordable tickets, which are priced at £26, and the rear seats are packed.To at least make things appear beautiful on TV, perhaps they could welcome everyone to the lower seats.
“Additionally, since few people would attend both and both are in the UK in the same two weeks, the Commonwealth Games could have had an effect.It’s encouraging to see so many foreign supporters in Birmingham, but it’s disheartening that so many Brits haven’t shown up.”
Fan Questions Value for Money at Birmingham Championships
Adam Hilton is scheduled to fly from Manchester to Birmingham for the evening session this Saturday.
The 34-year-old paid £120 for two tickets for himself and his girlfriend, but he said he “doesn’t feel [it was] value for money” and that if he could obtain a refund.
It was somewhat disheartening to observe the empty seats on Monday, the opening day, especially during the evening session,” he said. “In summer, with the good weather, you’d like to see it full-ish.
“It’s unfortunate since it appears to be a common occurrence in most sports for supporters to be priced out of events that ought to be much more accessible.
Organisers Defend Ticket Prices and Attendance
A family of four could attend the event for £30, according to the organizers.
As the championships went on, Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, predicted that attendance would rise.Although we haven’t sold out the stadiums in recent days, we are witnessing a steady increase in those numbers,” she stated.
The men’s 100-meter final and competitors like Keely Hodgkinson are among the amazing events we have coming up, and I believe you will witness a significant increase in the coming days.”
Given that “half of all the tickets for the events here in Birmingham are under £30,” she said, she believed the organizers had done a “pretty good job here” with regard to ticket costs.
The ticket sales “have far surpassed our targets,” according to a representative for Birmingham 2026.
