EMPTY SEATS AT BIRMINGHAM ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS AMID TICKET AND FOOD...

Nearly 10,000 empty seats were recorded at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on its opening evening, with 13,623 spectators in attendance to watch Amy Hunt win the women's 100 metres at Alexander Stadium. The event has faced criticism over ticket pricing, with Category A tickets priced at £150 for Monday evening, dropping to £110 for Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to £150 for the final four days, with no concession discounts available. Food and drink prices at the venue have also attracted complaint, with vendors charging as much as £18.50 for a BBQ pork roll with chips, £13.50 for the roll alone, and nearly £4 for a bottle of water.

The Championships represent the first time the event has been held in Britain, featuring British athletes including Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith competing across multiple events. The cheapest available ticket in Category E costs £26. Paula Radcliffe, who represented Great Britain at four consecutive Olympic Games between 1996 and 2008, characterised the sparse attendance as regrettable, stating that whilst sporting interest exists, accessibility pricing may require examination.

Radcliffe told the Press Association that athletics now competes with numerous other sports for spectators' attention and expenditure. She emphasised the value of live attendance in creating atmosphere and engagement with the sport, but acknowledged that expensive pricing prevents some members of the public from attending. No official statement on pricing strategy or attendance targets from the event organisers has been recorded in the available reports.