Having already successfully hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships in 2026, Birmingham will bid to host another huge sporting event in 2029, the World Para Athletics Championships.
Meeting today (Tuesday, November 10), Birmingham City Council approved a formal bid to host the Championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. This is despite the financial concerns of so many sporting events close together.
Next year, Birmingham will also host the Invictus Games at the NEC and Sandwell Aquatics Centre (July 10–17, 2027), before welcoming four games ot football at Villa Park for the Euros the following year (June 11, 15, 20 and 27, 2028).
Financial woes
The World Para Athletics Championships in 2029 would “further establish Birmingham as the centre of athletics and para sport in the United Kingdom,” a recent council report said.
But government commissioners, sent to help with the council’s financial recovery, had previously warned that not submitting a bid would provide greater benefits to locals—freeing up around £6m to be invested in other services.
They further added: “Should cabinet decide to proceed with a bid, commissioners consider that this decision should be conditional upon securing a minimum 50 per cent contribution from external partners.”
As such, any final commitment to the World Para Athletics Championships is dependent on securing significant external funding. But cabinet members also pointed to the financial boon of hosting such a prestigious event.
The recent council report claimed that “previous events such as the Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships have delivered £500m and £22m economic benefit respectively.”
The World Para Athletics Championships will next be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, June 19–27, 2027.
