British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston believes “excitement for Birmingham 2022 is rocketing” as organisers revel in record-breaking ticket sales for the Commonwealth Games here.
Birmingham 2022 has announced that more than 1.3 million tickets have been sold, making it the most attended edition of the Commonwealth Games ever to take place in Britain.
Glasgow 2014 had previously held the British record, but Birmingham 2022 has now moved ahead of them following a surge in demand for tickets.
According to Birmingham 2022, more than 500,000 tickets have been snapped up by people living in the West Midlands.
Organisers are also expecting a further one million people to visit the region for the Games, due to end on August 8, as well as the Birmingham 2022 Festival.
“Excitement for Birmingham 2022 is rocketing and the record demand for tickets is testament to the incredible support the British public has for the Games,” said Huddleston.
“With the eyes of the Commonwealth on this great city, these historic Games will bring people together through world-class sport and culture, grow the regional economy, and leave a lasting legacy for the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.”
Birmingham 2022 has reported that the Opening Ceremony staged at the revamped Alexander Stadium on July 28 was broadcast live across 134 countries around the world.
Thousands of people turned out to watch Prince Charles formerly declare the Games open but Birmingham 2022 has yet to confirm the official attendance.
There has also been strong interest in many sports, with fans almost filling the Coventry Stadium to see Australia and South Africa win the respective women’s and men’s rugby sevens titles today.
“The demand for tickets for the Games has been fantastic and we’re thrilled to have sold a record-breaking 1.3 million so far, which will make for an incredible atmosphere at all our venues,” said Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid, who said last December that they aimed to sell 1.5 million tickets for the Games.
“There are still some tickets left and selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to be part of the largest sporting event to take place in the UK since the 2012 Olympics and witness sporting history being made here in the West Midlands.”
Birmingham 2022 features the biggest ever sports programme for a Commonwealth Games with 19 sports and eight Para sports.
It will also be the first time for a Games where more medals will be awarded to women than men.
Among the sports which have proven to be a big hit is women’s Twenty20 cricket as it makes its Commonwealth Games debut.
Birmingham 2022 has confirmed that a record number of people have bought tickets to watch the competition at Edgbaston Stadium.
It has revealed that more than 150,000 have been sold, beating the previous record of 136,549 which was set at the 2020 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice spoke of his delight at the turnout for India’s eight-wicket victory over Pakistan today.
“The atmosphere in the packed stadium today has been electric and hundreds of millions of fans around the world will have been tuned in to watch this great sporting rivalry,” Allardice told inside the games.
