The Commonwealth Games Federation organizing body has officially announced Glasgow, UK, as the host of a scaled-down 2026 edition.
The games, it has been confirmed today, will be hosted from July 22 through August 2, 2026, in the Scottish city (which will play host for the second time in 12 years), and will feature 10 different sports (as well as para-iterations of six of those sports) staged across four venues.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Athletics (track and field), swimming, artistic gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3×3 basketball will all be staged, alongside para-track cycling, para-athletics, para-swimming, para-powerlifting, para-bowls, and wheelchair 3×3 basketball at the scaled-down games.
Previous favorites such as hockey, rugby 7s, and all raquet sports, however, have not been selected for logistical reasons.
The four primary venues utilized will be the 9,703-capacity Scotstoun Stadium, which will likely host the track and field events, the Tollcross International Swimming Center (swimming), the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome (track cycling), and the Scottish Events Campus (the remaining indoor sports).
Scotstoun primarily hosts rugby fixtures but also boasts an athletics track, while the SEC's five connected exhibition centers have hosted sports events, including professional wrestling promotion WWE, in the past.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThis smaller program is in contrast to the previous edition of the multi-sport event, hosted in Birmingham, UK, in 2022, which featured 19 sports.
Glasgow will host the event for the second time having previously done so before in 2014.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games was originally set to be hosted by the Australian state of Victoria but that region's government withdrew in July 2023 owing to a huge increase in the projected cost of staging the games – originally projected to hit A$2.6 billion ($1.7 billion), the cost then rose to an untenable A$6 billion.
Malaysia was briefly considered as a replacement, before Glasgow stepped in earlier this year.
In its withdrawal, Victoria had to pay A$380 million to the CGF as compensation, £100 million ($129 million) of which CGS has budgeted to use for the financing of its Commonwealth Games proposal, with the remaining £30-£50 million to be drawn from ticketing, sponsorship, and broadcast revenue.
John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, has now stated: “While Glasgow 2026 will look very different to previous Games, we can, and must use this as an opportunity to work together to ensure that this new approach delivers a strong and sustainable future for the Games. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in building this new vision."
Ian Murray, the UK Government’s Scottish secretary, added: “The UK Government has actively supported the proposal to bring the 2026 Games to Glasgow, and is providing up to £2.3 million ($ 2.98 million) of funding for security costs."
While the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is now set, the long-term future of the multi-sport event is still in doubt, with a host still required for 2030 after Alberta, Canada, also pulled out in mid-2023.
