For some time, the Games were without a host after the bid from Victoria, Australia for the 2026 Commonwealth Games was withdrawn, Victoria having initially been announced as the host in April 2022.[3] On 18 July 2023, the Victorian state government cancelled its plans due to escalating cost projections. The city of Gold Coast, Queensland, briefly offered to co-host the event but later withdrew for similar reasons. With no host, there was a risk that the Games might be postponed to 2027 or cancelled entirely.[4][5][6]
On 11 August 2024, reports surfaced that Glasgow had reached an agreement to take over the hosting rights,[7] but the next day it was clarified that talks were ongoing with no final agreement or imminent announcement. Commonwealth Games Scotland proposed a scaled-back version of the event, featuring 10 to 13 sports and using existing infrastructure, with £100 million in funding from the Commonwealth Games Federation and an additional £30 to 50 million from commercial sources, ensuring no significant public funds would be required.[8] A further update on 30 August 2024 confirmed that the Games would be primarily funded by AU$200 million, secured as compensation from the Victorian government following their withdrawal.[9][10] In September 2024, the Scottish Government agreed to host the games with financial backing from Commonwealth Games Australia.[2] The scaled-down and low-cost Games featured 10 sports taking place over seven venues and no athletes' village.[2][11]
Australia topped the medal table for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games, with 70 gold and 171 total medals. England placed second with 29 gold and 110 total medals, while Canada finished third with 19 gold and 62 total medals. The host nation, Scotland, finished fifth behind India, each with 13 gold medals and 29 total medals. Gabon, Rwanda and Tuvalu won their first-ever Commonwealth medals, with Dominica winning their first-ever gold medal.
The Australian state of Victoria was initially appointed host.
During the CGF General Assembly on 31 March 2017 in Gold Coast, after the troubled 2022 Commonwealth Games host city bid process, the executive board announced that it had planned to award both 2026 and 2030 Commonwealth Games simultaneously at the CGF General Assembly scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda in September 2019. A new model called CGF Partnerships (CGFP) was implemented which aimed to give stronger support to the associations and cities that show interest in hosting future Games and enhance the overall value of the event. This is similar to the process used by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2017.[12][13]
In 2015, the South African city of Durban originally won the rights to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but was stripped of these rights in 2017 due to financial concerns.[14][15] As a result, Birmingham moved up its planned Games from 2026 to 2022.[16] This left the 2026 Games without a host and bids from Kuala Lumpur, Cardiff, Calgary, Edmonton and Adelaide were all withdrawn due to concerns over costs, with a hosting decision not made by the Commonwealth Games Federation between 2019 and 2022.[16]
In January 2022, the Victorian State Government announced it was giving serious consideration to a late request from the CGF to host the Games. On 16 February 2022, Premier of VictoriaDaniel Andrews confirmed that the state was in exclusive negotiations with the CGF to host the Games.[17] It was stated that if successful in hosting the Games a second time, a Victorian bid would aim to emphasise the state's regional centres—such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo—as opposed to being predominantly Melbourne-based, such as in 2006. Bendigo had previously hosted the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games. Acceptance of the bid would likely also be conditional upon agreement on ways to control costs, such as housing athletes and officials in hotels rather than a dedicated village.[18][19] This bid was confirmed as successful on 12 April 2022.[20]
On 18 July 2023, the state government intended to cancel hosting the 2026 Games in Victoria.[4][6] Fifteen months after agreeing to host the Games, Premier Daniel Andrews said the cost had escalated to an estimated A$6–7 billion, double the estimated economic benefits for the state, and the government could not justify the expense.[21] The state said it would terminate its host agreement with the Commonwealth Games Federation and seek a settlement of the contract.[5] The withdrawal prompted a new search for a host for the 2026 Games.[22]
On 4 December 2023, the Gold Coast ruled itself out of hosting the games.[25] On the same day, the British government confirmed that there would be "no UK rescue" for the games and that they would not be hosted in the United Kingdom, citing that there was no financial appetite or any preliminary planning in place to allow another British city to intervene again after Birmingham 2022.[26]
On 11 March 2024, the Olympic Council of Malaysia revealed that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had offered Malaysia approximately £100 million to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games on a smaller scale than initially planned, with discussions ongoing.[27] However, on 22 March 2024, the Malaysian Cabinet declined the offer, stating that the £100 million would be insufficient to cover the event's costs. Furthermore, the Federal Government was unwilling to use taxpayers' money to fund the games, especially given the risk of a scheduling clash with the 2027 SEA Games, also set to be held in Malaysia.[28]
On 14 March 2024, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), Sport Singapore (SportSG), and Commonwealth Games Singapore (CGS) announced they were exploring the feasibility of hosting the games, including the possibility of a joint proposal with Malaysia to reduce expenses. However, on 3 April 2024, CGS and SportSG confirmed that Singapore would not submit a bid.[29]
On 8 April 2024, the CGF indicated that a new host for the 2026 Games might be announced the following month, and on 9 April 2024, Ghana's Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, expressed interest in hosting the event following Accra's successful hosting of the 2023 African Games in March 2024.[30][31]
Scotland bid
Glasgow was considered as the "last possibility" to host the 2026 Games after Victoria pulled out.
On 11 April 2024, it was announced that Glasgow was considered as a "last possibility" to host the 2026 Games in the event that no other host was forthcoming.[32] It was reported that the Games would be on a smaller scale and could reuse venues from the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Accommodation for the athletes would comprise hotels, and possibly the student residences of Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Glasgow.[32] Furthermore, the cost of the Games would be covered fully by the Commonwealth Games Federation and their corporate sponsors.[32] Discussions were ongoing between Commonwealth Games Scotland, the Scottish Government and EventScotland: a confirmed bid was expected by the end of the month,[33] but the bid documents were in fact not submitted at that time. On 25 July 2024, the BBC reported that a decision would be made in August.[34]
The King's Baton was officially launched on 10 March 2025, to mark the start of the 500-day countdown, with King Charles III, in full military regalia, unveiling the plaque and then handing over the baton to the first runner, Sir Chris Hoy. The baton made from ash wood was designed by Tim Norman. The organisation decided that it would be sent to the Caribbean region to start the global relay with Port of Spain, in Trinidad and Tobago, as the first international stop.[38]
The choice of Trinidad and Tobago was a result of the country successfully hosting the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games. The Caribbean part of the Baton Relay culminated in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday 14 June, before the African leg (15 June to 24 October), then Asia (25 October to 21 December), Oceania (2 January to 26 March 2026), Americas (27 March to 6 May 2026), and Europe (8 May to 23 July 2026).[39]
For the 18th Baton Relay, a new format was introduced where each of the 74 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) received an individual baton crafted in Glasgow. Rather than passing a single baton between nations, each CGA was permitted to customise its baton to reflect its local culture.[40][41]
In addition to being the first time of being part of The King's Baton Relay, Commonwealth Sport partnered with the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) to integrate the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign into the relay, focusing on ocean conservation and methods for recycling plastic waste.[42]
The King's Baton Relay culminated at the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2026 on 23 July 2026, as a traditional and fundamental part of the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremonies.[43][44][45]
Ceremonies
As part of the proposed plan put forward by Commonwealth Games Scotland, the opening and closing ceremonies were scaled down compared to previous Games.[46] It was announced on 20 March 2026 that the opening ceremony would take place at the OVO Hydro, the first time in the Games' 96-year history that a ceremony would be held in an indoor venue.[47]
The closing ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games took place at the OVO Hydro on 2 August 2026, the same venue as the opening ceremony. Scottish rock band Simple Minds headlined the ceremony, with performances by BEMZ, Cammy Barnes and Sandi Thom. Australian singer Delta Goodrem made her third appearance at a Commonwealth Games ceremony, after performing at the opening ceremonies of the 2006 and 2018 editions in Melbourne and Gold Coast respectively. The scheduled formal handover to the next 2030 Commonwealth Games host city Ahmedabad, India, featured performances by Shankar Mahadevan and Rashmika Mandanna.[51]
Participating associations
All 74 Commonwealth Games Associations participated in the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Gabon and Togo made their debuts after joining the Commonwealth of Nations in June 2022.
Given the urgency and lack of time to organise the event, this was the lowest number of sports offered at the Games since 1994.[a] Starting with this edition, the Games had only the two compulsory sports of athletics and swimming.[124]
Six of the chosen sports held a Para sport element. These are Para Athletics, Para Track Cycling, 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, Para Swimming, Para Bowls, and Para Powerlifting.[11]
Parasports The Games featured the largest number of Para sport events in Commonwealth Games history, with 47 finals across six sports.[124]
Athletics Organisers decided to add the mixed 4x400 race and opted for the return of the Mile event instead of the 1,500m track event. The mile was last held in 1966; organisers considered the revival an homage to the "Miracle Mile" from Vancouver 1954 between Roger Bannister and John Landy, and for the first time ever, this event was contested by women. Parathletics saw athletes competing in the three disciplines of the sport: jumping, throwing and track events.[124]
Basketball The number of teams in the 3x3 basketball tournaments has been expanded. While the number of teams in the standing tournament has increased to 12 per gender, the number of wheelchair teams has increased to 8 for the women. The men's 3x3 wheelchair event remained at eight teams.[124]
Bowls Another major development in Glasgow was the redesign of the bowls competition, which was indoors and not on grass. With the revised programme, the number of events dropped from 11 to 7, as the triples and fours competitions have been removed.[127][128]
Cycling Despite the non-occurrence of mountain biking and road events, the number of cycling events held was maintained at 26 with the elimination race added to the able-bodied track programme, and the number of parasports events doubled from 4 to 8 to include C class cyclists.[124]
Swimming The number of events in the swimming programme increased from 52 to 54 across both Para and non Para competitions, with the addition of the 800m freestyle event for men and the 1500m freestyle event for women.[124]
The logo for the 2026 Commonwealth Games was described as a "historic first", integrating the Commonwealth Games Federation logo with the visual and institutional identity of the city of Glasgow. It features symbolic representations of the River Clyde and the Clyde Arc bridge, interwoven within the Commonwealth Sport celebration mark, displayed in the colours of the waterfront. It was created by Glasgow-based agency Loop Design.[133]
The official tartan for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was unveiled in July 2025 and created in collaboration with award-winning Scottish fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie.[134] Registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, the design incorporates the vivid blue, pink, and purple tones of Glasgow 2026 set against a steel grey base – a symbolic nod to the city's industrial heritage. The tartan's thread count carries deeper meaning: 74 grey threads represent the number of participating nations and territories, while a bold blue thread count of 26 pays tribute to the year of the Games. The tartan will be produced in Scotland using local textiles and manufacturers.[135]
The official mascot for the 2026 Commonwealth Games was scheduled to be unveiled on 23 July 2025, marking exactly one year until the start of the Games. The mascot was designed by schoolchildren across Scotland, encouraging creativity and youth participation in the lead-up to the international sporting event. Ahead of the announcement, promotional efforts included a light-hearted video released on 9 July 2025 featuring Clyde, the popular thistle mascot of the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow.[136]
Scotland's reigning 10,000m Commonwealth Champion, Eilish McColgan, was announced as the first official Games Ambassador for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on 21 July 2025.[139] Weightlifter Emily Campbell, gymnast Jake Jarman, wheelchair basketball player Robyn Love and swimmer Duncan Scott were all subsequently announced as Ambassadors.[140][141][142][143]
Registration for 500,000 pre-sale tickets for the Commonwealth Games opened and ran until 16 October, giving priority to fans from the host city and country, then general public sales started on 30 October 2025. Tickets were available from £26 for medal sessions and £17 for non-medal sessions, with concession tickets starting at £12. Tickets were later reduced closer to the Games for some sports such as bowls to a starting point of £10.[174][175] It is reported that a total of 434,000 tickets were sold.[176]
↑Astill, David (23 January 2026). "Falkland Islands Commonwealth Games Team Announced for 2026". fitv.co.fk. Stanley, Falkland Islands: Falkland Islands Television. Retrieved 18 May 2026. The only sport the Islands are competing in is indoor bowls, with Daphne Arthur-Almond, Sharon Barnes, Kris Thorsen, Cecil Alexander, Ian Barnes and Oliver Thompson selected to form the team aiming for glory.
↑"Boxe fora dos Jogos da Commonwealth"[Boxing out of the Commonwealth Games]. Jornal Desafio (in Portuguese). Maputo, Mozambique. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
↑"Competition Schedule". Glasgow Organising Company for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original on 4 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
↑"Our Partner Family". Glasgow Organising Company for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
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