London 2017 Ltd has announced that 1,047,000 tickets have been applied for at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, with 5 of 14 sessions oversubscribed across all four price categories.
486,000 of the 700,000 IAAF World Championships London 2017 tickets available have now been sold, a year in advance of the Championships. The ticket application window was open between 1–29 August 2016 and promoted with ‘The Race Is On’ advertising campaign.
UK Sport is investing up to £7million for both the IAAF World Championships and World ParaAthletics Championships in London next year, which will be the first time ever a city will host both events in the same year.
Applications flooded in from 92 countries around the world including Jamaica, Thailand, Armenia and Uruguay. While over 200,000 tickets were applied for Session 3 featuring the men’s 100m final, 13 of the 14 sessions in one price category or more have been balloted, reflecting the public’s huge appetite for live sport and world-class athletics.
The UK public witnessed new athletics heroes emerge at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and applications for London’s Championships were boosted by the public wanting to witness these athletes in action next summer in The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
London 2017 Ltd is working to ensure as many applicants as possible are able to attend the Championships. Unsuccessful ballot applicants will get a second chance to purchase remaining IAAF World Championships tickets, in mid-September 2016. Details will be provided by email to them from today, 2 September 2016. Any remaining unsold IAAF World Championships tickets will come back on-sale later in the year.
The race is now on for next summer’s World ParaAthletics Championships – also being staged in London in 2017. Organisers expect to capitalise on ParaGB’s predicted ‘gold rush’ at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and encourage the public to secure their tickets for 2017’s summer of world athletics. Tickets will be on sale on a first come, first served basis from 11:00 on 10 September 2016 at tickets.london2017athletics.com.
The World ParaAthletics Championships will take place between 14 – 23 July 2017 in The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Memories of London 2012’s sold out Paralympic Games evoke fantastic memories and the Championships are gearing up to be the last chance to see world-class athletes such as David Weir and Richard Whitehead in competitive track action. Sports fans can buy tickets from £10 per adult, and £5 per child from 11:00 on Saturday 10 September 2016 at tickets.london2017athletics.com.
London 2017 will be the biggest global sporting event to take place next summer and will bring together 3,300 world-class athletes from more than 200 countries, who will compete in 30 sessions across 20 jam-packed and action-fuelled days.
Usain Bolt, Eleven-time World Champion said: "It's fantastic to see that organisers of next summer’s IAAF World Championships in London have been able to sell so many tickets a year ahead of the Championships. The fact that 70,000 children will be coming to watch next summer, for my £9.58 world record ticket price, is something I'm hugely proud of."
Niels de Vos, CEO of UK Athletics & Championships Director of London 2017 Ltd said: “We are thrilled with the demand for tickets so far and next year is really setting up to be a fantastic summer of athletics where we welcome the world’s best athletes back to London. Four years on from the London 2012 Games, it’s great to see that there is still such enthusiasm for global sporting events. Our aim is to fill the Olympic Stadium with passionate crowds and ensure that as many fans as possible can enjoy world-class athletics and the demand we’re seeing so far for tickets shows we’re on our way to achieving this.
“We know that the British public’s support for para athletes is unprecedented and we wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on seeing some incredible sporting action next July. So don’t forget that tickets for the World ParaAthletics Championships start from just £5 for children and £10 for adults and will be on sale from 11:00 on 10 September 2016 at tickets.london2017athletics.com.”
IAAF President Sebastian Coe commented: “I’m delighted that fans from around the world will join the great British public next summer in welcoming teams from over 200 nations, making this a truly global championships both on and off the track. Their enthusiastic support will be central to motivating the world’s top athletes to produce their very best at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, so echoing the excitement and atmosphere of 2012."
As the demand for tickets goes up, London 2017 Ltd want to remind the general public not to buy tickets from unofficial sources. The only place to buy tickets for the Championships is directly via tickets.london2017athletics.com.
London 2017 Ltd announced last month that STH Live will be the exclusive provider of hospitality and VIP tickets. Ticket inclusive hospitality packages are available to purchase for all sessions from today (2 Sept 2016). Packages include a variety of fine dining options and celebrity guest speakers providing expert insight and analysis. All packages include a premium seat on the home straight with prices from £195 to IAAF World Championships and £145 to the World ParaAthletics Championships. To receive more information on any packages, visit london2017athletics.com/register-hospitality