European Athletics has called for more ticket purchases for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, following criticism regarding empty seats. Despite this, the organisation remains confident the event will deliver a "special atmosphere."
Attendance figures have shown a daily increase since the championships commenced on Monday. The opening day saw 12,844 people at the morning session and 13,623 for the evening, which included Amy Hunt's 100m win. Tuesday morning drew 12,921 spectators, while 16,208 watched Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu secure a British one-two in the men's 100m final at the Alexander Stadium, which has a capacity of around 23,000 for the event.
A statement from European Athletics noted strong demand for tickets in the second half of the championships and encouraged people to attend. The Birmingham26 local organising committee stated they were "delighted" with sales, claiming they "far surpassed our targets," with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening sessions reportedly nearing sell-out.
However, social media discussions on Wednesday continued to highlight the crowd controversy, with many critics attributing the sparse appearance of the stadium to ticket prices. The lowest adult tickets for morning sessions from Monday to Wednesday were £10, with evening sessions starting at £26. Prices are set to increase later in the week, when athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson and Mondo Duplantis are scheduled to compete, with the highest "category A" tickets reaching £150 for some evening sessions.