Coe Dismisses Sparse Crowd Concerns for London 2029 Bid in the UK

The low attendance earlier in the week has been a major talking point, drawing criticism over ticket prices and event marketing, although the final four days are reportedly close to a sellout. European Athletics has backed the organisers, noting on Friday that peak audiences "exceeding two million people" and a 20% market share on the BBC had been recorded. When asked about the empty seats and their potential impact on London's bid, Coe pointed to the capital's track record of filling stadiums during the 2012 Olympics and the 2017 world championships.

"It's horses for courses, Coe said. "We had London in 2012, London in 2017, London will point to having sold out Diamond League five months before the event took place … I think back to 2017 in London, we started on a Friday night and we had the advantage of Mo Farah being the centrepiece. Referring to Birmingham's situation, Coe added: I think it was a challenge.