Glasgow, Scotland has reportedly reached an agreement to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Victoria, Australia was originally set to host the Games but pulled out of the agreement late last summer due to rising costs.
Victoria had to pay $243 million (AUD $380 million) as a result of withdrawing as the host, a cost that was still much lower than the potential $5 billion ($7 billion AUD) of hosting the Games.
That was not the only Commonwealth Games scheduled to also have its host withdraw as the Canadian province of Alberta withdrew its bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Team Scotland announced back in April of this year that it was beginning development of a “cost-effective” way of hosting the 2026 Games in Glasgow. Glasgow hosted the Games for the first time in 2014, making it the largest multi-sport event ever held in Scotland.
Ian Reid CBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland said in April, “Glasgow has a fantastic track record of delivering large sporting events within sensible budgets, with world class facilities and expertise already in place as a legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games a decade ago.”
He continued, “We believe our concept provides the CGF with a viable, cost effective and exciting solution which importantly won’t involve significant sums of public funding. We look forward to discussing the concept further with the CGF, our member sports, athletes and wider partners.”
The details of the plan included a two-year turnaround with a budget of £130-150million ($165-190million USD) without a significant ask of public funds. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) would provide £100million, coming from the settlement of Victoria while the remaining funds would come from tickets, sponsors, and broadcasting.
“Approximately” 10 sports would be offered during an 11 day competition in July or August of 2026. Athletics and swimming are the two mandated sports with the “approximately” other eight determined after consultation with the CGF.
The 10 sports would be a reduction from the recent Commonwealth Games. The last time only 10 sports were competed in at a Commonwealth Games was in 1994. Glasgow notably hosted 17 sports in 2014 while the most recent Games in Birmingham in 2022 featured a record 20 sports.
Thank you Glasgow 🏴
Yes!! So excited for the younger ones: sienna toohey, olivia wunsch etc… get 3 swimmers per event not two
If she continues on a similar trajectory Sienna will be top two for Worlds next year.
I hope so!!
Great means we have major swimming competition until LA28.
Probably the next time McIntosh gets a crack at Titmus
World’s in Singapore?
Titmus is taking an extended break.
She took extended break in Tokyo an appeared in Comm Games next year
Much more extended break this time (“up to 12 months”).
Pan Pacs?
Yes. Glad to see the Commonwealth tradition continue. Thank you Glasgow! Beautiful locations, excellent infrastructure and great people – a potent mix for a successful event in two years time.
Glasgow were great hosts in 2014. If the CWG are to survive then it will have to be scaled back to 10 sports and perhaps alternate around 2-3 cities in the UK as host cities. Birmingham (as they did in 2022) and London being the best options.
Ideal world want every region to host London-Sydney-Toronto-Singapore-Cape Town . It is very important these games continue
If it is Glasgow then that’ll be two consecutive CWG where a UK city has had to step in. 2022 was supposed to be Durban.
Reducing it to 10 sports would make it dull, unfair and strangetic location manipulative. Weeding out sports, the host nation are not good at. Thus messing it up for sports other nations are better at.