Criticism as thousands of seats empty at Europeans Athletics Championships

Nearly 10,000 seats remained empty at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium during the European Athletics Championships on Monday evening, despite a crowd of 13,623 watching Britain's sprinter Amy Hunt secure her first senior international title. Athletics supporters pointed to high ticket prices as the reason for the poor attendance, with some describing them as "extortionate."

BBC commentator Steve Cram also noted the disappointing spectator numbers, especially in the back straight area. Despite these criticisms, Birmingham 2026 organizers expressed delight with ticket sales, which had far exceeded their targets. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening sessions were approaching sell-out, with several other sessions close to capacity.

However, some fans argued that the pricing was unreasonable, with Category A tickets for the home straight costing £150 and no concessions for juniors. The issue of ticket prices may also be influenced by the fact that the Commonwealth Games were held in the UK within the same fortnight, and not many fans would attend both events.