Birmingham 2022 Launches Ticket Ballot
The main ticket ballot for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been launched, with more than one million tickets priced £22 or less available for the biggest multi-sport event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Commonwealth Games will be held in 14 venues across Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond, will feature 19 sports and eight Para sports – the biggest sports programme in Commonwealth Games history – and will be staged from 28th July to 8th August 2022.
To celebrate the ballot launch, Birmingham 2022 organisers enlisted Olympic and Commonwealth gold medal winning gymnast Max Whitlock to perform a set of gymnastics skills at well-known landmarks in Birmingham.
“The Commonwealth Games has been a key event in my career so far and to have a home Games for Team England on the horizon is fantastic,” said Whitlock.
“But it’s not just the sporting action that tickets are available for, as applications are also open for tickets for the official Opening Ceremony on 28 July 2022 and the official Closing Ceremony on 8 August 2022. The creative team for these ceremonies was recently announced and includes Steven Knight CBE, creator and writer of Peaky Blinders, as Executive Director and Birmingham born, globally renowned theatre director, Iqbal Khan as Artistic Director.
“Tokyo was an amazing experience but the chance to compete in front of a home crowd with family, friends and spectators all in attendance will be massively appealing to many of our country’s best athletes. It is going to be an incredible Games and Birmingham will be a fantastic host city. I am really looking forward to it.”
The 14 venues that have been announced so far for the Games include the Alexander Stadium which is currently being completely redeveloped ahead of hosting the athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies next summer, and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, the only brand-new venue for the Games, which will host Birmingham 2022’s swimming and diving programme.
One swimmer who is looking forward to the opportunity of competing in this brand-new facility is Maisie Summers-Newton who has just returned from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with two gold medals: “This will be my first chance to swim in a Commonwealth Games for Team England and to do that at a home games in a fantastic new venue filled with spectators would be absolutely amazing. Birmingham 2022 is going to be a fantastic event and I just can’t wait.”
Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022, said: “We have watched in awe at the amazing performances of the athletes that have competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and these were truly special events but unfortunately many of those athletes had to compete in front of empty stadiums.
“Birmingham 2022 will be different, and we expect to have full stadiums, with passionate crowds to cheer on the athletes, so if you want to witness sporting greatness and you want to help create an incredible atmosphere for the 4,500 athletes expected to take part in the Games, then now is the time to apply for your tickets.”
