Commonwealth Games 2022: When does the Birmingham event start?

The launch of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games official Countdown Clock on March 09, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Miles Willis/Getty Images for Birmingham 2022)

Birmingham is hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Thousands of athletes will travel to the West Midlands next year to take part in the prestigious multi-sport event, which will hold 286 sessions of sport across 19 different sports over 11 days of competition.

It is the biggest event that the Birmingham has ever hosted and the biggest international event held in the UK in the last decade.

Top athletes from the 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth will compete in the international spectacle which is seen as a celebration of the union.

Held every four years, the Games have previously been held in Manchester, England, in Melbourne, Australia, in Delhi, India, in Glasgow, Scotland and the Gold Coast, Australia since 200 - and now it’s Birmingham’s turn.

Athlete Colin Jackson attends Commonwealth Games Volunteer Selection at the Library of Birmingham

When does Birmingham 2022 start?

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will get underway on 28 July with the closing ceremony on 8 August 2022, in what organisers are billing as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the West Midlands on a global stage”.

Can I still get tickets?

A ticket ballot for local residents was launched in July, with a reported 850,000 applications already made.

A general ticket ballot closed at 8pm on September 30. Applicants will find out in October if they have been successful in securing tickets.

At the end of the ballot window, tickets will be allocated at random. There will be a general sale but organisers have yet to announce when this will be.

Tickets for the Commonwealth Games 2022 start at £8 for children and £15 for adults.

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There were no fees for ticket sales in the ballot. Instead organisers were hoping that applicants would consider donating to the Games’ charity partners. These include United By 2022, the legacy charity that has been established to ensure that the benefits of Birmingham 2022 continue to be delivered in the years following the Games.

Further information about tickets is available at the Birmingham 2022 website

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