WITH just days to go until the inaugural European Championships begin, more than 108,000 tickets have been snapped up.

Many events have sold out, with just a few tickets left across sessions in track cycling, synchronised swimming, gymnastics and diving.

Triathlon and other sporting sessions are also selling fast, and fans are being urged to snap up tickets to see their favourite Olympic, European and Commonwealth stars as they make their last minute preparations to compete here in Scotland. Ticket prices start at just £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s and over 60s.

Hundreds of thousands of people are set to watch Europe’s elite athletes compete across 12 sports, listen to the best in music, sample the finest food and drink, take in a performance or simply enjoy the carnival atmosphere set to sweep Glasgow and Scotland.

The multi-sport event, being staged from August 2-12, also offers an unusually high amount of free events. Visitors and residents can enjoy the thrilling Cycling Road Race, Cycling Time Trial and Mountain Biking events for free, alongside Open Water Swimming at the stunning Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. And to celebrate the 2018 Year of Young People in Scotland, around 20,000 complimentary tickets have gone to sports clubs, schools and young peoples’ organisations to make sure the potential stars of the future get a chance to watch the champions of Europe crowned.

Running in tandem with the sport, Festival 2018 will get the city and communities around the 12 venues buzzing with its offer of hundreds of unmissable – and largely free cultural events. The packed programme includes famous faces such as Nina Nesbitt, seminal electro giants Orbital, an immersive art installation underneath the River Clyde, a mass karaoke night in George Square and a restaurant that helps you to have lunch with stranger.

The have-a-go activities, civic canteen and Big Top at GO LIVE at The Green! will also run every day during the championships – and are completely free.

Championships director Colin Hartley said: “Glasgow 2018 is the biggest event Glasgow and Scotland will host since the best ever Commonwealth Games – but it is the very first of its kind. Co-hosting with Berlin where the athletics will take place, we will bring existing European Championships together into one exhilarating multi-sport event.

“While lots of finals sessions are close to selling out, there are still plenty of tickets left to see your heroes in most sports, but we expect these to sell quickly once the championships begin and people see just what it is all about and the fact that there is so much world-class sporting action right here on their doorstep.”