Birmingham has today been named host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games – the most expensive sports event to be held in Britain since the London Olympics of 2012. The city’s bid was the only one submitted to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) by the deadline of 30 September, after it was chosen ahead of Liverpool as Britain’s candidate.
A central aspect of the bid was a proposal to increase the capacity of Alexander Stadium. The venue, which is already used to host Diamond League athletics events, will expand from 12,000 to 50,000.
This legacy in Birmingham could, in turn, mean the relocation of the Anniversary games currently hosted at the London Stadium every July to the Midlands from 2023. UK Athletics has a 50-year contract with an option for another 50 years at the former Olympic Stadium but pays just £37,000 per year in rent compared to the £11.8m cost of moving the seats for Athletics.