Concerns raised over thousands of empty seats at Birmingham European Athletics Championships

Nearly 10,000 seats remained empty at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on Monday evening during the European Athletics Championships. Official figures show 13,623 spectators attended to watch British runner Amy Hunt win the women’s 100m, despite the venue having a 23,000-seat capacity. Fans have described ticket prices as excessively high, with Category A seats for Monday’s session priced at £150, while Tuesday’s men’s 100m final tickets were £110. By comparison, similar tickets for the same event in Rome two years ago cost approximately £75. Spectator Chris Brown, 40, told the BBC that weekday pricing was inappropriate, noting that while the cheapest £26 tickets were popular, the lack of spectators in premium areas created a poor visual for television broadcasts. Adam Hilton, 34, who travelled from Manchester, criticised both the ticket costs and the stadium's infrastructure, noting that the nearest train station is a mile away and parking was limited to locations two miles from the venue. Official data indicates that stadium occupancy hovered between 55% and 59% during early sessions. Former Olympian Sharron Davies expressed concern over the pricing, which also extended to food, citing £18.50 pork rolls and £15 hot dogs as prohibitive for families. BBC commentator Steve Cram noted the disappointment regarding the empty stands during the women’s 100m final. A spokesperson for the Birmingham 2026 organisers stated they were pleased with ticket sales, claiming they had exceeded targets by a significant margin. They added that weekend sessions are nearing capacity and remain optimistic about attendance for the remainder of the event, which marks the first time the UK has hosted the European Athletics Championships in its 92-year history.