Birmingham bids to host 2026 European Athletics Championships
A joint bid has been submitted to host the event at the Alexander Stadium in 2026.
UK Athletics has teamed up with Birmingham City Council to host Europe’s most prestigious European athletics competition.
Whilst the UK has hosted multiple Major Championships including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships - it has never hosted the European Athletics Championships.
UKA Chair Ian Beattie, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to confirm this official bid for the 2026 European Athletics Championships. I am grateful to Birmingham City Council for their commitment to hosting the championships, recognising the opportunity to further develop the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. It is also great news for the UK as a whole, highlighting our strong vision of hosting major sporting events in different parts of the country.”
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “We have a first-class record for hosting international sporting events in Birmingham and the positive impact they have for our people and businesses is very clear.
"They strengthen the city’s identity, attract new visitors, grow our economy and promote Birmingham nationally and internationally as a welcoming, diverse, youthful and inclusive city.
“The redeveloped Alexander Stadium, recent host to the Diamond League and already hailed as the best athletics stadium in the UK, underlines our compelling credentials as a perfect host for European Championships in 2026 – we have excellent facilities, in a city and wider region that loves sport, which also has a bold plan for a sustainable legacy from all events that it stages. We feel the time is right for Birmingham to become the first UK host of these fantastic championships.”
A report on the council’s backing for the bid is due before its Cabinet on June 28.