UK Athletics Championships return to the Alexander Stadium in June

The UK Athletics Outdoor Championships will return to Birmingham's Alexander Stadium on 20 and 21 June 2026, giving the city the first of two major track and field events this summer.

Across the two days, national champions will be crowned in front of home crowds, in one of the biggest dates in the domestic athletics calendar.

Back after a successful 2025

The stadium in Perry Barr hosted the championships in 2025, when more than 12,000 fans turned out to watch Britain's top track and field athletes. Organisers say they want to recreate that atmosphere this year.

The championships also matter for selection. Results will play a key part in choosing the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the European Athletics Championships, giving athletes the chance to perform on the same track where they will hope to shine later in the summer.

A summer of athletics

Birmingham will host the European Athletics Championships at the Alexander Stadium from 10 to 16 August. It will be the first time the UK has staged the event, which organisers describe as the only major global outdoor track and field championships never previously held in the country.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Outdoor Athletics Championships back to Birmingham and the Alexander Stadium this June," said Councillor Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.

She said the stadium "continues to shine as a world-class venue", and that with the European Championships following in August, the city was "gearing up for a spectacular summer of sport". "We can't wait to give everyone a warm Brummie welcome," she added.

Cherry Alexander, Head of Events at UK Athletics, said the stadium had proved "a fantastic home for our sport", and that the atmosphere the previous summer had been brilliant.

"With the European Athletics Championships also taking place in Birmingham later in the summer, this creates a special moment for athletes and fans alike, and a great opportunity to showcase the very best of athletics on home soil," she said.

The home of British athletics

The Alexander Stadium was rebuilt for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, when it hosted the athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies. Since then it has become a regular venue for major events and the home of Birchfield Harriers, one of the country's most successful athletics clubs.

Tickets

Fans can register for updates through British Athletics to get access to a priority ticket window before general sale. Organisers expect strong demand, given the build-up to the European Championships later in the summer.