The UK's largest athletics venue, hosting major European events
Attendance at Birmingham 2026’s European Athletics Championships is described as underwhelming amid reports of high prices for seats, food and parking. Organisers say sales have surpassed targets, but critics point to a midweek slump and sparse crowds, with tickets for top sessions remaining expensive.
Romell Glave has won European 100m gold in Birmingham with a 10.09s, while Jeremiah Azu takes silver and Owen Ansah bronze. Britain also sees Matthew Hudson-Smith reach the 400m final amid an injury scare; Jacobs finishes last as he battles fitness. The win marks a one-two for Britain on home soil.
Keely Hodgkinson has reached the European Championships 800m final in Birmingham with a fast heat, as Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol also show form. Hodgkinson seeks a third European title on home soil after a challenging outdoor season.
AP News and BBC coverage show Britain hosting the Birmingham 2026 European championships with star athletes like Hodgkinson, Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen, as ticket concerns and attendance shape the event. Rivalries in the 800m loom while 5,000m and pole vault finals attract global attention.
England’s track and field team has seen a wave of withdrawals from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Johnson-Thompson and Hodgkinson among those pulling out to prioritise the European Championships in Birmingham. Replacements are named; the team cites injuries and scheduling as reasons.