Host | Glasgow, Scotland |
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Nations | 74 Commonwealth Games Associations (expected) |
Athletes | 3,000 (expected) |
Events | 10 sports |
Opening | 23 July 2026[1] |
Closing | 2 August 2026 |
Main venue | Scotstoun Stadium |
Website | https://glasgow2026.com |
The 2026 Commonwealth Games (Scottish Gaelic: Geamannan a' Cho-fhlaitheis 2026), officially known as the XXIII Commonwealth Games and Glasgow 2026 (Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu 2026; Scots: Glesga 2026), is a planned multi-sport event scheduled from 23 July to 2 August 2026, to be hosted in Glasgow for members of the Commonwealth of Nations.[2][3] This will be the fourth Commonwealth Games to be hosted in Scotland, following the 1970 and 1986 games in Edinburgh, and the 2014 games in Glasgow.
For some time, the Games were without a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew, having initially been announced as the host in April 2022.[4] 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.[5][6][7]
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2026 Commonwealth Games |
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On 11 August 2024, reports surfaced that Glasgow had reached an agreement to take over the hosting rights,[8] 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.[9] 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.[10][11] On 17 September 2024, it was announced that the Scottish government had agreed to host the games with financial backing from Commonwealth Games Australia.[3] The scaled-down and low-cost Games will feature 10 sports taking place over four venues and no athletes' village.[3]
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be the first to be held since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III, as Head of the Commonwealth.