2026 European Athletics Championships secured for Birmingham as funding agreed

Vital funding has been agreed in a bid to ensure the 2026 European Athletics Championships is held in the West Midlands amid hope it will “rekindle pride” in the region.

Birmingham City Council (BCC) announced in 2022 that the city would host the sporting event and said at the time it was a “fantastic opportunity to build on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games”.

However, issues concerning the funding for the European Athletics Championships (EAC) came into question after the council declared effective bankruptcy in September last year. It previously requested to reallocate funds from a related Grassroots Sports Programme towards the costs of the EAC itself.

A report by the West Midlands Combined Authority added: “Furthermore, Birmingham City Council are unable to provide their match funding contribution towards the overall event leaving a shortfall of £2.2m. All EAC partners, including the WMCA, are being asked to consider whether they can make further contributions to bridge this gap.”

At a meeting on Friday (January 12), the WMCA approved an extra £600,000 of funding towards the cost of hosting to help address the funding shortfall.  The WMCA Board also reaffirmed a £13.7 million contribution towards the EAC  – £3 million of which had originally been earmarked for grassroots sports.

Addressing the meeting, councillor Bob Sleigh, portfolio lead for finance at the WMCA, said: “Birmingham City Council is now no longer in a position to fund and drive the delivery of the event in the way originally envisaged.”

He warned that the loss of the event to another city would have “detrimental” consequences for the West Midlands. “This would result in the loss of the economic and social benefits from hosting the EAC and cause negative and detrimental impacts for the reputation of the city, region and UK as a whole,” he said.

Addressing the meeting, the leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor John Cotton, highlighted the financial challenges local authorities were enduring. "We are all facing some real difficulties right now, notwithstanding that, we cannot allow an event of this magnitude and impact to slip through our fingers in this region,” he said.

“The Championships are a hugely high-profile event. It will be the first time it’s held in the UK. It gives us all the opportunity to promote our areas, brands, businesses and rekindle that feeling of pride we all have in our local communities.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA Board, said: “The 2026 European Athletics Championships is a major event for our region as a whole and the biggest since the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“We know from previous experience that these high-profile events do deliver positive impact – bringing in valuable investment and creating local jobs – and it’s important we build on the success of the Commonwealth Games to continue to establish the West Midlands as a leading location for major sporting events.”

The WMCA said it has been working closely with the UK Government and wider partners to secure additional funding, with the Government now agreeing to commit up to £680,000. Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “This is brilliant news for Birmingham’s status as a host of major sporting events. Having successfully delivered the record-breaking Commonwealth Games in 2022, the Championships will deliver an estimated £30 million economic boost for the city.”

At the meeting, the Mayor also moved an amendment to instruct the WMCA finance director to explore whether it would be possible to find the £3 million intended for the grassroots sports initiatives.