Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games confident of full stadiums at a "Covid-friendly" event

Organisers are hoping to see scenes like this in stadiums next year. (Photo taken during the Commonwealth Games host city bidding process in 2017).

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers are confident of hosting capacity crowds, even if spectators need to produce vaccine passports.

The Birmingham 2022 committee says it will host a "Covid-friendly" event that is healthy and safe.

Asking fans for proof of vaccination status for large events is still under consideration by the government.

"We can have an incredible celebration next summer," Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid told MPs on Tuesday.

He told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee that extensive planning was being done to make the Games safe.

When asked if they could fill stadiums while checking everybody's Covid status, Reid said: "We've invested significantly in relation to Covid planning around the Commonwealth Games.

"We'll be working closely with our colleagues in public health and will follow the overall regulations the government puts in in relation to passports or other protections around Covid.

"The most important thing is we will have an infrastructure ensuring the games are healthy and safe. We are very confident we can fill stadiums.

"We will have an infrastructure in place that can support a Covid-friendly Games."

Manchester United are the latest football team to introduce Covid spot-checks under Premier League matchday protocols for the 2021-22 season, which state fans "must be prepared to prove" they are fully vaccinated or have had a negative Covid-19 test in the previous 48 hours.

It is not yet a mandatory requirement to enter Old Trafford but the club say they expect proof of full vaccination to become mandatory in the Premier League from 1 October.

In July, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced there was a plan to mandate certification at venues where "large crowds gather", including sporting venues with capacities of 20,000 or more.

Will the Games be cost effective?

The DCMS committee asked Reid about financial targets for the Games, with public investment in the event currently totalling £778m.

He said 70-80% of tickets would need to be sold to break even and that they were aiming to match the boost to the economy provided by the Gold Coast Games in 2018, which was put at around £1.3bn.

"Hopefully that's a prudent estimate and we can beat that," Reid told MPs.

There are between 1.5m and 1.7m tickets available and a ballot for local residents, which opened in July, has already attracted more than 850,000 applications.