Venues of the 2022 Commonwealth Games

The venues for the 2022 Commonwealth Games were based in Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Coventry, Royal Leamington Spa, Sandwell, Solihull, Warwick, Wolverhampton, and London.

[23] Warner's position was not supported by the UK Government, or anyone else, and on 11 April 2018, then Prime Minister Theresa May announced that £70 million of investment would be earmarked to transform the Alexander Stadium into a world-class athletics venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games to seat 40,000 spectators.

[27][28] Nonetheless, on 21 June 2019, Birmingham City Council released the images and plans for renovating the Alexander Stadium and claimed that it would create a legacy asset for the surrounding Perry Barr area.

Considered a test event for Birmingham 2022, the meeting was staged successfully and the upgraded stadium received positive reviews from spectators and athletes alike, with Olympic pole-vault bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw describing it as the "most beautiful" track and field venue in the United Kingdom.

[41] In 2018, the wholesale markets were relocated to a purpose-built hub in Witton and the entire Smithfield site cleared in preparation for a huge £1.9 billion city centre regeneration project.

In addition, it will host one of two planned city centre Festival Sites, with giant screens, live and digital performances, and food and beverage outlets, which will be open to the public.

[50] During the redevelopment, seating used for the Games will be removed and new facilities created, including two 4-court sports halls, a 108-station gym, a 28-station ladies-only gym, three activity studios, an indoor cycling studio, a sauna, a steam room, a football pitch with changing facilities, a dry diving area, an urban park and children's playground, and a café.

Between June 2013 and November 2014, the Arena underwent a £26 million redevelopment, designed by the architecture practice Broadway Malyan, which included creating a showpiece entrance from the canal-side, three "sky needle" light sculptures, a new glazed facade fronting the canal and new pre-show hospitality elements.

[57] The South Stand (Pavilion), rebuilt in 2011 as part of the Edgbaston Stadium Masterplan, is a multi-tiered structure which holds the Press Box, hospitality suites, players changing rooms, administration offices, Visitor and Learning Centre, the Club shop and banqueting halls, with a seating capacity of over 4,000 spectators, while the Eric Hollies Stand, with a capacity of 5,900 seats, is traditionally the most raucous area of the ground.

[58] In January 2021, work began on Phase 2 of Edgbaston's Stadium Masterplan, consisting of a new entrance plaza, car parking facilities and residential apartments, at a total cost of £93 million.

It has a total area of 14,800 m2 (159,000 sq ft), making it one of the largest outdoor community spaces in Birmingham, and is designed to host cultural festivals and events as well as pre-and-post matchday crowds.

[61] The park is a scheduled monument, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a national nature reserve, consisting of a mix of heathland, wetlands and marshes, seven lakes, and extensive ancient woodlands.

[66] The university's main campus, which occupies a site approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Birmingham City Centre, is arranged around Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (affectionately known as 'Old Joe' or 'Big Joe'), a grand campanile which commemorates the university's first chancellor, Joseph Chamberlain,[67] and is a dominant feature on the Birmingham skyline.

For the squash competition, the 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft) indoor arena will house an all-glass court, featuring more than 2,000 seats for spectators and accredited guests.

On 4 March 2022 it was reported that the statue of Queen Victoria in the square would be temporarily "dressed" by Guyanese-British sculptor Hew Locke for the duration of the Games, as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival cultural programme which will launch on 14 June.

The proposal, described as a "temporary intervention", has caused controversy in some quarters, with the Save Our Statues campaign calling the project "cultural vandalism".

When the hosting decision was announced, Chairman for Birmingham 2022, John Crabtree, said holding the cycling competitions in Warwickshire would increase the Games’ regional reach and the area's picturesque backdrops would help showcase the "rich and varied landscape that the West Midlands has to offer.

[101] The Cycling Road Race is one of the Games’ five ticketless events and up to 15,000 local people and visitors are expected to line the route on Sunday 7 August 2022.

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976, and extended in phases between 1989 and 1998,[102][103] the NEC is the UK's largest exhibition venue and one of Europe's leading event destinations, its 20 interconnected halls covering 190,000 m2 (2,000,000 sq ft) of floor space.

[107] It also sits at the heart of the UK's road network, and provides 16,500 parking spaces spread around the site, with a free shuttle bus service operating between them.

[108] However, Birmingham 2022 have stated that road restrictions will be in operation during the Games and on-site parking will only be bookable in advance, so it is not clear how straightforward it will be to drive to the NEC during this period.

[115][116] As part of Warwick District Council's Commonwealth Games project, the venue has undergone a programme of improvements in advance of the event including upgraded playing surfaces for each of the greens, and redevelopment and refurbishment of the Bowls Pavilion and Clubhouse, incorporating enhanced Wi-Fi provision and a new PA system.

These upgrades are the focus of a £1.8 million programme of infrastructural and landscaping improvements in and around Victoria Park and Leamington Spa railway station in preparation for hosting the Games.

Ian Reid, CEO of Birmingham 2022, said Wolverhampton was the perfect setting for the time trials, as there was plenty of space and incredible support for cycling around the city, and that it was vital to bring the games to the whole of the West Midlands.

[120] The 37 km (23 miles) Men's Time Trial route will depart West Park and wind through Wolverhampton City Centre, passing by the Wolverhampton City Council offices, St Peters Church, Queen Square, and the Church of St John in the Square, before heading south into Dudley town centre via Sedgley.

Construction of the park's flagship Velodrome was completed in 2011 at an estimated cost of £105 million[122] and was used for the first time in competition during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in February 2012.

[134] For those who signed the petition, the decision was seen as a lost opportunity to help develop the sport in a region with a population of 5.6 million people but no dedicated track cycling venue.

These free-to-enter sites will feature big screens broadcasting live event coverage, concerts, parties, food, beverages, cultural activities and other entertainment.

It will provide quiet areas, dimmed lighting, audio descriptions, and specialist communicators including British Sign Language interpreters.

[136] Two further live Festival Sites will be established in towns that are not hosting Games events: The Castle Grounds in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Southwater in Telford, Shropshire.