It has been one year since a 10-metre tall mechanical bull, now named Ozzy after the Black Sabbath frontman, entered Alexandra Stadium in Birmingham to mark the opening of the Commonwealth Games.
While hundreds gathered at Birmingham New Street station this week to see the beast unveiled in its new permanent home, there was growing uncertainty about the future of the sporting event after Victoria in Australia, due to host it in 2026, pulled out because of escalating costs.
“Worries about the costs of mega-events are becoming increasingly common. In Victoria, the costs seem astronomical so I would agree with the assessment that it won’t represent value for money,” said Dr Matthew Lyons, a regional economist at the University of Birmingham, who has researched the impact of the 2022 Games.
“These events only really provide value for money if they are used as a catalyst to deliver other things and, to Birmingham’s credit, it has consciously worked to attract tourism and business investment over the long term.”
Lyons said research suggested the Birmingham Commonwealth Games generated a net profit of £100m – a “narrow economic margin” considering it cost £778m to pull off. Most of the cash (£594m) came from central government, while the city council and its partners chipped in £184m, making it “a great deal for the city itself”, he added.
A study commissioned by the government earlier this year found the event contributed at least £870m to the UK economy, including £453.7m in the West Midlands.
Locally, the event was considered a roaring success by many, and there are now calls for the city to step in to host again, something which the West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, hasn’t ruled out.
“I can’t believe a country as proud of their sport like Australia will just give up on the Commonwealth Games,” Street said. “Yes, we hosted an incredible Games, but any talk about it coming back is very premature. The ball is in the Australian court and we need to see their next move.”
Lyons said Birmingham could feasibly host the event again, as the “physical and intellectual capital” was still in place. “I think Birmingham could actually pull it off whereas other cities might struggle,” he said. But he added it would depend where the funding came from, especially as the city council was in dire financial straits over an escalating equal pay bill.
On Wednesday, it was clear the Commonwealth Games buzz had yet to wear off as crowds descended on New Street station to see Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife, unveil the newly restored Ozzy the bull, which will roar once an hour for the first 10 days.
“People need to understand there’s a deeper meaning behind it,” said Street. “That bull is there to say to every person from Birmingham and the West Midlands: ‘You’ve got something to be really proud of here.’ That’s why I wanted it back. So it wasn’t just a moment in time, it was something we were constantly thinking about.”
Among the crowds there was almost universal praise for the sporting event, which helped to attract a record 141.2 million visitors to the West Midlands last year.
Claire Finn-O’Shea was there with her two young daughters, Alicia, 11, and Eliza, eight, who wrote to Street asking him to save the bull after they marvelled at it during the event last year.
“The Games were a massive thing for the city, it makes you feel really proud to be from here,” she said. “It was great for the kids to experience too. It was just nice to have something happening in Birmingham for a change.
“I was so shocked Victoria pulled out, I can’t believe that’s happened. I do understand how expensive it is, but I think it was a good investment for [Birmingham] – I think people will want to come and look at the bull.”
Ron Suffolk, a retired surveyor from Great Barr in the north-west of the city, said: “The Commonwealth Games was exceptional. It proved itself. If any more major events want to come here, why not? We’ve got a great stadium for it.
“People will say the money could have been used better, and they’re not totally wrong. But how often do you host a major games? And we have the facilities for it.”
The West Midlands has also become the top region outside London for attracting foreign direct investment, overtaking the south-east for the first time in the last financial year, which Street partly attributes to the promotion of the area through the event.
“The perception of Birmingham and the West Midlands has definitely improved through the Games,” said Street. “The whole idea of doing this was to give us confidence and pride, so we can take our place on the international stage. And I think we’ve achieved that.”
Businesses across the city generally seem to agree, with 90% believing the event has had a positive impact on the city region.
“That feelgood factor is great for business, and it really helped businesses to boost their profile,” said Henrietta Brealey, CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. “It’s one of those things that you look back on and think, fair play – they brought it in on time, under budget, and working through the pandemic. And I think there was a lot of pride in that.
“If it was to come back, I think we just need to make sure we have the capacity to do it well, because it’s a very short timeline.”
