The council has overseen the £72m project to revamp the stadium ahead of the biggest event in the city’s history. Despite planning permission being obtained just before the wettest February in history (February 2020) and the work being delivered during the unprecedented circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, the scheme has remained on budget and schedule.

Birmingham 2022 has now taken up tenancy and will finalise the temporary Games-time enhancements that will turn it into a 30,000-seat venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as all of the athletics and Para athletics competition.

Post-Games, the temporary overlay will be removed, leaving a legacy facility with just under 18,000 seats, acting as a focal point for sport, health, wellbeing and community activity in Perry Barr and the wider area of north west Birmingham.

Funding for the Alexander Stadium Redevelopment comes from three sources: Birmingham City Council (£27.4m), the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (£20m) and West Midlands Combined Authority (£25m).

As well as funding for the Stadium, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has also supported Birmingham 2022 with the development of new transport infrastructure, skills training to support local people into jobs with the Games.

The Alexander Stadium will stage the Opening Ceremony for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on the 28 July and the closing Ceremony on the 8 August. The athletics and Para athletics programme will be held in the stadium from 2 to 7 August.