Britain's Deepest Eclipse Since 1999 Wows Sports Fans
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- The partial solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 obscured more than 90 per cent of the Sun above British skies, the deepest eclipse over Britain since the total eclipse of 1999, leaving only a slim crescent of light visible at around 7.15pm.
- Cricket fans at Edgbaston watching Birmingham Phoenix face MI London in The Hundred took in the eclipse from the stands, many wearing special protective glasses.
- European Athletics Championships organisers in Birmingham turned on floodlights at Alexander Stadium in anticipation of the eclipse, where Swedish athletes Erika Warff and Tilde Bjerager were among small groups gathered outside to watch.
- Football fans in Salzburg attending the UEFA Super Cup between Aston Villa and Paris St-Germain gazed skywards about 30 minutes before kick-off as the eclipse unfolded.
- La Monumental at the MADRING F1 circuit in Madrid — specifically Turn 12 in the circuit's northern Valdebebas section — provided one of Europe's most unique vantage points, staging the viewing exactly one month before the Spanish Grand Prix.
- The eclipse peaked around 7.15pm UK time, though clouds obscured it at Alexander Stadium even as athletes and spectators attempted to observe it through paper glasses and phone cameras.
Why it matters: A 90%+ partial eclipse — the deepest over Britain in 27 years — happened to coincide with four marquee European sporting events, handing broadcasters and venues an unscheduled visual moment. For The Hundred, the European Athletics Championships, the UEFA Super Cup, and Madrid's new MADRING circuit, the eclipse offered a shared spectacle that organizers had to plan around, from turning on floodlights to handing out viewing glasses.
Ask SkimNews
