CGF

Birmingham 2022 Sets Cost-Saving Budget For Commonwealth Games

June 26, 2019

Birmingham 2022 Budget announcement has confirmed decrease in Commonwealth Games costs.

The cost of delivering the Commonwealth Games, and associated public funding, has been managed down whilst investment in long-term infrastructure and capital projects in Birmingham and the West Midlands is being accelerated.

The announcement of £778 million of public funding comprises contributions towards Games operational costs and additional legacy investments, that have been brought forward for the Games, such as long-term capital infrastructure. The total public investment confirmed for Birmingham is significantly lower than the previous Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018, which totalled £967m.

CGF Chief Executive David Grevemberg CBE said: “We are delighted to have confirmation of the Birmingham 2022 budget, which reinforces the Commonwealth Games’ position as a cost-efficient multi-sport event focused on delivering long-term benefits for the host city and region.

“An important element of the budget detail is the significant decrease in direct Games delivery costs compared to Gold Coast 2018. A key focus since the launch of our strategic plan, Transformation 2022, has been to continually enhance the appeal and social impact of the Commonwealth Games, but also buck the global trend of rising Games delivery costs. Thanks to extensive partnership working and our new delivery model, we are pleased to see the operational costs come down and the value of the event to the host city and region fully maximised.

“Today’s announcement provides operational certainty for a spectacular celebration of sport, business and culture in just over three years’ time; but also unlocks significant investment in transformational infrastructure and legacy initiatives that will benefit Birmingham and the West Midlands for generations to come.”

CGF