Solar eclipse fullest above British skies since 1999 as spectators take it in at sporting events across Europe
Sporting fans at Edgbaston for Cricket's The Hundred, Birmingham for the European Athletics Championships and Salzburg for the UEFA Super Cup clash between Aston Villa and PSG were well-placed to take in the fullest solar eclipse since the total eclipse of 1999
Wednesday 12 August 2026 21:40, UK
Cricket fans at Edgbaston were among sporting spectators given a stunning view of Wednesday evening's partial solar eclipse.
The sky took on an eerie darkness as the Moon obscured more than 90 per cent of the Sun, leaving only a slim crescent of light visible.
Spectators watching Birmingham Phoenix face MI London in The Hundred were able to take in the spectacle from the stands, with many wearing special glasses.
The eclipse was the fullest above British skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
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Other sporting events also took place against the unusual backdrop.
Floodlights were turned on in anticipation at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Small groups, including Swedish athletes Erika Warff and Tilde Bjerager, gathered outside Alexander Stadium to observe the phenomenon, congregating on both sides of the terrace below the west stand.
Some were prepared with protective paper glasses while others watched through their phone cameras, although the rare occurrence was already obscured by clouds when it peaked at around 7.15pm.
In Salzburg, football fans attending the UEFA Super Cup between Aston Villa and European champions Paris St Germain also gazed skywards.
The eclipse took place around half an hour before kick-off in the Austrian city.
La Monumental at the MADRING F1 circuit in Madrid provided one of the most unique vantage points from which to witness the solar eclipse.
With its imposing grandstand and the Madrid skyline as a backdrop, La Monumental staged its first major spectacle exactly one month before the Spanish Grand Prix gets underway: the meeting of one of nature's greatest phenomena and MADRING'S most significant corner.
Located in the northern section of the circuit, within the Valdebebas site, Turn 12 was an exceptional location from which spectators were able to witness an eclipse.
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