The sight of vast empty sections at Alexander Stadium was hard to miss as Birmingham hosted the first-ever European Athletics Championships on UK soil. With just 13,623 spectators attending the opening evening session on August 10, despite a capacity of around 23,000, the sparse crowd quickly became impossible to ignore. Soon after, Amy Hunt’s agent Nick Hartwell was among those questioning the reason behind the low turnout.

“Crazy prices. Such a shame,” Hartwell said after Hunt produced one of the biggest moments of the opening night by winning her first European 100m title. The 24-year-old Brit then completed her victory lap in front of large sections of empty seats.

The lack of spectators was also noticed during the live BBC coverage, with athletics commentator Steve Cram openly acknowledging the sparse stands. “A little disappointing in terms of spectators, I have to say that,” Cram said. He then pointed toward the back straight, adding, “There’s not very many people at all in those stands.”

The ticket prices help explain why the issue has attracted so much attention. For Tuesday night’s session, Category A tickets were priced at £110, while Category B seats cost £90. Category C tickets were available for £60, with Category D seats costing £40. For some of the biggest sessions later in the week, the price of a top Category A ticket was set to reach £150.

The £150 amount has been criticised in particular due to the inclusion of Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson in the session on Friday. BBC Radio 5 Live Sport producer Sonja McLaughlan wondered if such prices were realistic for supporters, describing it as “mad.”

McLaughlan also said that tickets should be more affordable throughout the stadium, and not only in the upper sections.  Her worry wasn’t just that it was the most expensive seat, but about the spirit of a big game after seeing only 59% attendance.

The expense of attending does not end with the ticket. Fans also have to consider travel, food and drinks, while Alexander Stadium’s location presents another challenge for spectators. Birmingham 2026 has encouraged fans to use public transport and park-and-ride schemes as part of its focus on greener travel. The nearest railway station is around a mile from the stadium.

Despite the criticism, Birmingham 2026 has rejected the suggestion that ticket sales have been poor. Organisers said sales had far surpassed their targets, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening sessions approaching sell-out and several other sessions close to capacity. They also pointed to cheaper options, including tickets below £30, as well as a £6.31 children’s ticket for Friday morning. A family of four can also attend some sessions for as little as £30.

But the concerns over ticket prices have not come only from Hunt’s camp. Several athletes and former sports stars have also questioned whether the pricing is making the championships less accessible to fans.

Former athletes question ticket prices

Former British distance runner Paula Radcliffe, who represented Great Britain at four consecutive Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008, said to PA, “It is a shame because I think there is the willingness but I don’t know whether perhaps as a sport we need to look at the pricing and accessibility for those tickets.”

She also stressed the importance of experiencing athletics inside a stadium, particularly when a home athlete wins. “Nothing beats a stadium seeing a home victory, feeling the buzz and the hairs on your arms stand up, it’s really special,” she said.

Former Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore was also critical of the pricing, describing it as “tone deaf.” Taking to X, he questioned who the higher-priced weekend tickets were actually aimed at. “The sport needs as many eyeballs as possible so kids for a quid!! £150/£100/£70 for the 3 categories at the weekend is aimed at who? Not families and kids who may want to be athletes!” Collymore wrote.

While the ticket prices have drawn criticism, Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen offered a different perspective after winning the men’s 5,000m title for a record fourth time. Asked whether he wished more fans had been in the stadium, the two-time Olympic champion admitted he would have liked a bigger crowd, but praised those who had turned up.

“The people that show up are very enthusiastic. I think that’s the most important,” he said. “If the seats are packed with people who don’t care about anything, that’s maybe not that great either. The people that’s here really live for the sport of athletics. They are here to watch and cheer everyone. I think that’s the most important part.”

With more of the championships still to come, the attendance picture could change as bigger names take to the track.