Where will the 2026 Commonwealth Games be held? Birmingham bids to host event
The midlands region has said hosting the games could generate £390 million for the local economy
BIRMINGHAM has announced it is intending to officially enter the race to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
Those looking to bring the global sporting event to the city are calling on the entire region to get behind the bid.
Why are Birmigham bidding to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
With the full support of Birmingham City Council, the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, the West Midlands Combined Authority and Midlands Engine, the bid has the potential to generate up to £390 million for the local economy, create thousands of jobs and catapult the region onto the global stage.
Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’re calling on the entire region to get behind this bid.
"The economic benefit, not to mention the excitement and legacy of such an immense sporting event would have on this area, is massive. We are the perfect choice to host the Commonwealth Games.”
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Does Birmingham have good sporting pedigree?
Birmingham has a track record of delivering large international sporting events, recently hosting The Ashes at Edgbaston, Rugby World Cup fixtures at Villa Park, Diamond League athletics meetings at the Alexander Stadium, the Aegon Classic tennis championships at the Edgbaston Priory Club, the All England Open Badminton Championships and the UCI BMX Championships.
In addition, the NEC, Genting Arena and Barclaycard Arena as well as the ICC, all routinely host high-profile concerts, conferences and shows.
Steve Hollis, deputy and interim chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP said: “Greater Birmingham is perfectly poised to welcome the thousands of sports fans and athletes for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
"We are one of the most connected regions in the world with unrivalled transport links, accommodation, world-class venues and entertainment.
"Unlike other cities considering bidding, we already have significant infrastructure in place and HS2 is also set to be operational from 2026.
“Working collaboratively across the public and private sector has been the cornerstone of our economic success – and it’s that spirit that gives us a great chance of bringing the Games to Birmingham.”
Who else is bidding for the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Other cities believed to be considering bidding include Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Edmonton in Canada and Liverpool.
Candidates must notify of their intention to bid by March 2018, with the winning city being unveiled in November 2019.
The next games are due to be held in Australia in 2018 and in South Africa in 2022.
As it stands and provided the 2018 games go ahead, Australia has hosted the most amount of games.
The Commonwealth Games, which were first held in the UK in 1911, was designed to bring together members of the British Empire and 71 countries take part in the competition.