The European Athletic Association chose Birmingham to host the 2026 championships on 11 November 2022.
The decision was made at the association’s council meeting in Warsaw, Poland. Birmingham was selected after Budapest withdrew from the bidding process, giving the British city the right to stage the senior outdoor European Athletics Championships.
The date is separate from several other important milestones. In June 2022, European Athletics announced that the 2026 edition would be a standalone event rather than part of the multi-sport European Championships. In June 2025, the timetable and ticketing information were announced. The competition itself then took place in August 2026.
Birmingham’s selection was historically important because the 2026 championships became the first senior European Athletics Championships staged in a British city. The city had hosted other high-profile athletics events, but not this particular outdoor championship before 2026.