Expert comment Last updated 18 July 2023
A leading Birmingham City University (BCU) academic says the “phenomenal success” of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and “feelgood factor experienced by so many” could result in calls for Birmingham to step in to host the sporting showpiece in 2026.
But Dr Steven McCabe, Associate Professor and political economist at BCU, believes a number of obstacles may prove insurmountable as the search begins for a new 2026 host, following Victoria’s shock decision to withdraw from staging the event.
“Notwithstanding the financial impediments, there is the matter of the 2026 European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium that summer,” “Would the city really want to host the Commonwealth Games in the same year?
“Given the phenomenal success of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the feelgood factor experienced by so many during them, when the weather was magnificent, some residents may believe hosting both events during the summer of 2026 would be worth the inevitable additional cost.
“Though the 2022 Games officially cost £788 million, by judicious use of existing facilities with only an aquatics centre being built in Sandwell, there was a significant underspend. Many other venues outside the city were used in 2022 which eased the financial burden.
“Regardless of the costs of venues, hosting any major tournament requires vast expense and effort, including security and disruption, which runs to tens of millions of pounds.
“Whether Birmingham, a city dogged by a deficit of almost £1 billion, would welcome even more costs is debatable.
“Birmingham’s taxpayers, pretty hard pressed at present, would undoubtedly balk at the prospect of another hit due to hosting the Commonwealth Games so soon after the last one.
“Arguments about the economic gain to the city will likely not cut it with families who are struggling to pay their bills either.
“Little wonder that West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, when asked about the prospect of hosting the Games again in 2026, sounded uncharacteristically unenthusiastic.
“Perhaps we need to ask whether the Commonwealth Games should continue? After all, these Games, in which only athletes from Commonwealth countries compete and were originally the ‘Empire Games’, may now be regarded as an anachronism. Recent experience is that few countries outside of Great Britain and Australia are willing to act as hosts.
“It may be that, in the midst of recession, there are no bidders. If that is the case, what will the Commonwealth Games Federation do? They can hardly impose the Games on any country. If that were the case, a slimmed-down Games tagged on the end of the European Athletics Championships might be the only workable option.”