Criticism as thousands of empty seats in Birmingham
The European Athletics Championships in Birmingham faced criticism over empty seats and high ticket prices despite organizers claiming strong overall sales. Public figures and fans have questioned the affordability of the event for local spectators.
Why it matters
The accessibility of major sporting events is a recurring debate regarding the balance between commercial revenue and public engagement.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Ewan Somerville , BBC News , Kieran Fox , BBC Sport and Rachael Lewis , in Birmingham Reuters Amy Hunt won the women's 100m final on Monday evening but the stadium was nowhere near full Nearly 10,000 seats were empty at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium for the European Athletics Championships on Monday evening.
A crowd of 13,623 watched as Britain's 24-year-old sprinter Amy Hunt stormed to her first senior international title , in a stadium that has a capacity of 23,000.
Athletics supporters blamed ticket prices, with some describing them as "extortionate", while BBC commentator Steve Cram commented that spectator numbers were a "little disappointing".
But Birmingham 2026 organisers said they were "delighted" with ticket sales, which have "far surpassed" their targets with "Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening sessions approaching sell-out, with several other sessions close to capacity".
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