London Diamond League: UK Fans Raise Big Concern as Keely Hodgkinson and Co Prepare for Home Meeting

Athletics fans and families are raising concerns that they are being priced out of the London Diamond League.

The UK's premier annual track and field event has some tickets costing up to ten times more than those for similar events in other European cities.

An analysis by the BBC has revealed that many adult tickets for seats in typically less expensive areas of the London Stadium are priced at £95 (Ksh16,404). This figure is significantly higher than prices found across the other 14 host cities in the global Diamond League series.

The event, scheduled for July 18, is set to feature top British athletes like Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr, who are aiming for world records. However, some fans have described the ticket prices as "exorbitant," threatening to overshadow the on-track action.

Organisers have defended their pricing strategy, highlighting that the London meet is the largest one-day athletics event globally. They report that over 50,000 tickets have already been sold, including 14,000 priced from £26 (Ksh4,489) for adults and just £5 (Ksh863) for children.

This controversy is the latest to be associated with the London Stadium, which was originally built for the 2012 Olympics and is now home to West Ham United FC. Some football supporters have previously complained about the distance of the seats from the pitch, an issue the stadium management says it has worked to improve.

A closer look at the ticketing map shows that the more affordable £26 and £5 tickets are predominantly located in the upper tier of the stadium. At major athletics meets, seats along the back straight and bends are usually cheaper due to the restricted view of the finish line. In contrast, tickets for the home straight can often cost hundreds of pounds.

In the lower tier of the London Stadium, all available adult tickets on the back straight and bends were listed at £95, or £65 (Ksh11,224) for an obstructed view. Junior tickets in this section were nearly £50 (Ksh8,634), while student tickets were £85 (Ksh14,678). Many of these £95 seats remained available at the time of review, a price point higher than the average £74 (Ksh12,778) ticket for a Premier League match at one of the top six clubs.

Comparatively, tickets for similar seating zones at other Diamond League events are far cheaper. In Rome, they cost £8.65 (Ksh1,93), while in Monaco they are £14 (Ksh2,4170. Even the prestigious US leg in Eugene, Oregon, charges £18 (Ksh3,108), and the Diamond League Final in Brussels has tickets ranging from £25 (Ksh4,317) to £40 (Ksh6,907).

John Powell, a youth sprint coach who received an MBE for his work nurturing British athletes, expressed his disappointment. "Athletics is a community sport, not the World Cup," he said. "They're alienating a hell of a lot of people who are athletics fans and potential stalwarts within the sport."

Powell warned that despite the event's history of selling out, the high prices could deter many. "You've got to remember what athletics is... on the bends, people are going to be 150m in some cases away from the finish line. It's very limited viewing. I would very much fear that British Athletics stand to catch a cold on this."

In a statement, the event's organisers, Athletic Ventures (which includes UK Athletics), addressed the criticism. "Comparisons with athletics meetings in other countries do not take account of significant differences in market conditions, operating costs, venue requirements and audience demand," they stated, suggesting the meet should be compared to other major UK sporting and entertainment events.

Diamond League CEO Peter Stastny confirmed that ticket pricing is determined by local organisers and can vary significantly based on local market conditions. This pricing strategy comes after UK Athletics reported its first profit since 2017 in October, following years of financial instability that once brought it to the brink of bankruptcy.