Alexander Stadium (Birmingham)

Alexander Stadium is a track and field athletics stadium in Perry Park, Birmingham, England. It is owned and operated by Birmingham City Council. Birchfield Harriers use it as their home stadium, replacing their former home at Alexander Sports Ground.

General information

Official website: www.birmingham.gov.uk/alexander

Arena capacity: 18,000 spectators

Address: Walsall Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2LR, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 52.53033°N 1.90561°W

Year of construction: 1976

Construction cost: £72 million

Seating plan of Alexander Stadium

Where to buy tickets?

With the exception of authorized ticket sellers in some territories, tickets to the Games are only available on the official Birmingham website. Any other sale of tickets through unofficial agencies or websites is prohibited under the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act 2020 and tickets will be invalid. Don’t risk missing out on the action!

There are no fees in addition to the cost of your tickets. Instead, you might consider donating to their charity partners.

For events in the West Midlands, your Games ticket includes access to public transport in the local area on the day of your event.

How to get there?

There are multiple ways to get to the Alexander Stadium for the athletics and opening/closing ceremonies.

Shuttle bus

One way is by the shuttle bus, which will be running to and from Birmingham city centre.

The service will run between James Watt Queensway and a new transport mall at the stadium, which is between 50m and 150m from the stadium entrance. An accessible shuttle bus will run from Birmingham New Street Station (exit to Smallbrook Queensway).

You do not need to pre-book a shuttle bus, and the service is included in the price of your ticket.

Regular bus services

National Express West Midlands runs a number of service towards the venue, which isn’t far from Birmingham City Centres.

The following routes will take you near the Alexander Stadium: 11A, 11C, 33, X51, 51, 52, 907, 907A, 934, 935, 936, 937, 937A, 997.

Trains

The Perry Barr station is the nearest to the Alexander Stadium on the line between Walsall/Rugeley Trent Valley and Birmingham New Street. The station has a regular service, with trains running.

An accessible shuttle bus will run from the station to the stadium, alternatively it’s a 20-30-minute walk.

Cycling or walking

Walking or cycling is the easiest way to get to the venue if travelling locally.

Cycle parking will be available in close proximity to Alexander Stadium, with a designated blue cycle route along the A34 and providing direct access to Birmingham city centre from Perry Barr. The route is approximately 6km long and takes approximately 25 minutes to cycle.

Cycle hire is available across the West Midlands. Bikes are available 24/7, with docking stations at major bus, metro and train stations, visitor attractions and city or town centres.

Parking

Anyone planning to drive is being urged to use the park and ride service. Park and ride shuttles are available from Bescot Stadium (Bescot Crescent, Walsall WS1 4SA) and the multi-storey car park and Jaguar Land Rover at Kingsbury (102 Kingsbury Rd, Birmingham, B24 9QE).

There is a limited number of blue badge spaces at the stadium. Alternatively, there’s a dedicated blue park and ride from JLR Kingsbury (102 Kingsbury Road, Birmingham, B24 9QE) and the Church Tavern Car Park (Church Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2LA).

All park and ride venues must be pre-booked.

Taxi and private hire

If you travel by taxi, note that there are no designated pick-up or drop-off points near the stadium while surrounding roads have parking and access restrictions, so you may have to walk a bit to/from the venue to your taxi.

Where to eat and sleep?

We picked out 5 hotels in Birmingham that are great spots if you’re planning on visiting the Alexander Stadium.

We have covered some of the best hotels in the area to find the ideal locations to rest your eyes after a day full of sport. With the Alexander Stadium being in Perry Barr and an estimated 15-minute journey from Birmingham New Street station, hotels are not hard to find.

Whether you’re looking for something luxurious or a place near to the stadium, we’ve tracked down a variety of hotels. Some you may have heard of, others you may have not.

Here are some of the best hotels near Alexander Stadium.

1. Travelodge Perry Barr. One of the best hotels on location alone, Travelodge Perry Barr is an estimated 15-minute walk to the Alexander Stadium meaning you won’t need to worry about any traffic delays during the Games. For those driving into Perry Barr, the hotel has free parking provided for guests. Aside from being close to the Alexander Stadium, the hotel is close to both Perry Park and Perry Barr skate park.
2. Radisson Blu Hotel. With a restaurant, sauna and nearby to Birmingham’s shopping centres, the Radisson Blu Hotel is a great spot for those wanting to make their vacation as memorable as possible. The 4-star hotel is one of Birmingham’s most recognizable spots, an impressive 39-storey structure. A buffet breakfast is served every morning for hungry tourists with the drive to Alexander Stadium lasting an estimated 15 minutes.
3. The Great Barr Hotel. The Great Barr Hotel is an estimated 10-minute drive to the Alexander Stadium and is a great location. The hotel is located close to the M5 & M6 Motorways, N.E.C, Birmingham Airport, and Birmingham city centre. With 92 bedrooms, a hotel bar and tribute nights, The Great Barr hotel is a great pick to grab a kip during the Games.
4. The Bloc Hotel. Located in the heart of Birmingham, the Bloc Hotel is one of Brum’s trendiest hotels. Bloc Hotels describe themselves as “a short stay hotel designed to give you the very best of everything needed to sleep, shower and step out fresh into a new day”. Bloc Hotel also offers guests to check in and check out using their smartphones. An estimated 19-minute drive to the Alexander Stadium, Bloc Hotel is a great pick for people who want to experience the Birmingham nightlife after a day out in Perry Barr.
5. Premier Inn Birmingham (Great Barr/M6 J7). An ideal spot, Premier Inn Birmingham (Great Barr/M6 J7) is a location for those wanting an affordable hotel that is situated further away from the hustle and bustle of Birmingham city centre. A hotel perfect for the whole family, Premier Inn is rated 4.3 on Google compared to the nearby Holiday Inn which is rated 3.9. The hotel is a 12-minute drive from the Alexander Stadium.

There may be plenty of food options available inside Alexander Stadium, but sometimes you just want a drink in a lovely beer garden.

Picture the scene. You’ve spent all day enjoying top class sporting heroes compete in the athletics tournaments as part of the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium.

You may have enjoyed some of the many food stalls within the stadium during your visit. Now you just want to enjoy a drink with your friends and family, mull over the sport you’ve just watched within easy walking distance of the Perry Barr venue.

We think we’ve found the perfect pub – and it is just a seven-minute walk away from the Alexander Stadium, perfect if you’re going to the Commonwealth Games.

The Tennis Court is located off Walsall Road, right next to the stadium – and is open seven days a week. It is a traditional pub serving food and drink, showing live sports and also has a nice beer garden area outside.

Facilities

Be one of the first to host your event at this great unique space. The new Alexander Stadium is a world-class venue situated just outside Birmingham, in Perry Barr. Having undergone a £72 million redevelopment and designed to make every event memorable, Alexander Stadium now offers a range of flexible conference, meeting and event spaces as well as athletics and leisure facilities in a stunning parkland setting. The wide range of versatile facilities are sure to impress whether you are holding a conference, exhibition, meeting, team building activities, or a celebration.

Facilities include 7 hospitality boxes suited to smaller meeting and a main function room accommodating up to 450 delegates, a with great views over the athletic track.

There is also a separate boardroom suitable for meetings and the South Lounge will be available for private hire during the evening to host events and enjoy a unique customer experience.

Alexander Stadium really does have something for every occasion:

• Flexible state of the art event spaces;
• Free Wi-Fi and audio visual equipment;
• A range of accommodation options nearby in Birmingham city centre;
• 607 free on-site car parking spaces, 16 dedicated disabled bays and 6 electric charging vehicle points (EV coming soon);
• Fully accessible stadium with 17,500 capacity;
• International Association of Athletics Category 1 9-lane track;
• A community 6-lane track;
• 110-station gym and studios;
• A spacious parkland setting;
• 16 miles from Birmingham International Airport;
• 10-minutes walk from Perry Barr train station.

Accessibility

Accessible seating is available at the Alexander Stadium, including wheelchair positions and companion positions or ambulant disabled seats with few or no steps.  These seats need to be booked in advance to ensure that your requirements can be accommodated.

Wheelchair tickets are available around the stadium and include a free companion ticket. A free companion ticket can also be requested for any ambulant disabled spectators who need assistance attending the event.

Note that the North Stand access route includes a long ramp that may require more time to navigate and may be more suitable for motorised wheelchairs. The North and South Stand are uncovered and open to the elements.

Spectators with accessible needs are advised to use the accessible shuttle buses available from the city centre.

1. Accessible Entry. Talk to a member of staff at the stadium entrance if you are unable to wait in a queue for a period of time. They will organize priority entry for you as soon as the gates open.
2. Guide and Assistance Dogs. Guide and Certified Assistance Dogs are very welcome at the stadium.
3. Accessible Toilets. Accessible toilets are available at the stadium, close to the wheelchair bays. These toilets are larger than standard toilets. Some of these toilets are controlled by RADAR keys, which will be given to staff, but if you have your own key, make sure you bring it with you.
4. Changing Places Toilet. There is a changing places toilet facility in the West Stand lower tier towards the start line. This facility meets the needs of people with multiple and complex disabilities who have one or more carer with, and assisting them, by providing extra features and more space. Features include: height adjustable, adult sized changing bench, ceiling hoist system to lift people between wheelchairs and the toilet/changing bench. Note that compatible slings for the ceiling hoist system are not provided. Customers are asked to bring their own.
5. Spectators are advised to bring medication in its original packaging and only enough for use during the event. All spectators are subject to bag searches and any unmarked/unpackaged medication will be confiscated. Portable oxygen cylinders are permitted for medical use only. There is no refrigeration on site so make sure that you package your medication appropriately for the duration of your visit; we suggest bringing a small cool bag for any medication which needs to be kept cool.
6. Special Effects. Be aware that pyrotechnics, strobe lighting, special effects and fireworks may be used at this event.

Architectural Aspects

A key feature of the redevelopment is a new West Stand that is arranged over four floors with a sweeping new roof and a range of athlete, spectator and hospitality facilities. The primary design driver was to create an intimate amphitheatre-like ring of seats around the entire track, creating a ‘stadium’ rather than a collection of stands, providing a more cohesive and intimate atmosphere for spectators. The improvements to the stadium’s seating alongside upgrades to the track, interior, lighting and public realm work together to optimise the spectator experience.

The original proposal for a new access road to facilitate movement in and out of the stadium during major events placed it between an avenue of existing trees that would have been significantly damaged during construction. An alternative route was identified to protected the existing mature trees and improved connectivity with the canal to the north of the site for local residents. It also avoided any negative impacts on biodiversity and skirted around the site’s flood zone.

To reuse excavated materials from the new route to create a new flood bund, the use of approximately 780m³ of raw materials and the associated 80 construction lorry movements during construction was reduced. Flooding is a historical issue within Perry Park, adjacent to the stadium, and hydraulic modelling demonstrated that a surface bund to capture storm water was more effective – and sustainable – than traditional solutions such as buried tanks.

Major events are just one of many uses of the stadium. To avoid costly investments in sports lighting to accommodate larger events, a flexible lighting strategy was developed whereby the height of the sports lighting masts can be temporarily increased using the same infrastructure. In addition to cost savings, this has reduced the visual impact of the masts and the risk of light pollution for neighbouring residents during non-event periods.

History

Original construction began in 1975 and the stadium opened in 1976. The stadium underwent a renovation between 2019 and 2022, to prepare it for hosting the Commonwealth Games.

It hosted the athletics and opening/closing ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Other events held there include the annual British Grand Prix between 2011 and 2019 and in 2022, the Amateur Athletics Association Championships, 1998 Disability World Athletics Championships, and English Schools’ Athletics Championships.