Seats to be added as Alexander Stadium sells out for summer
Birmingham City Council will add extra capacity to the city’s flagship athletics stadium, after receiving “unprecedented demand” for tickets for this year’s European Athletics Championships.
Set to take place over seven days, the event will get under way on August 10, and will be the first time a British city has ever hosted the championships.
Temporary seating structures will be built at the local authority-owned stadium in response to surging demand for tickets, which the city council says has exceeded all expectations, a full six months ahead of the opening ceremony.
Permanent capacity at Alexander Stadium is around 18,000, but the amount of seats can be increased to up to 40,000 with the use of temporary stands at either end.
“The Alexander Stadium is already a world-class venue and knowing it will be even more packed out for some of the best athletes on the planet is truly special,” said Cherry Alexander, championship director for Birmingham 2026.
“The energy that Birmingham brings to major events is unmatched, and these additional seats mean thousands more people can be part of what will be an unforgettable, history-making week of athletics.”
Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium in Perry Bar was redeveloped at a cost of £70m for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which saw capacity increase from a previous 12,700 to current levels. The venue is now the largest dedicated athletics stadium in the UK.
Birmingham was awarded the 2026 European Championships four years ago, beating off Hungarian capital, Budapest, to host the event.
“Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium is the UK’s largest dedicated athletics venue, and with even more seats now being released for the upcoming European Championships, we are thrilled that more Brummies and visitors will be able to experience the excitement of a buzzing Alexander Stadium this summer,” said Councillor Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council.
“It is championship year, and this year Birmingham is looking forward to giving a warm Brummie welcome to everyone.”
