The city of Glasgow in Scotland has been announced as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games following a protracted short notice host search and a funding offer from previous hosts Victoria, Australia.
Victoria offered a “multi-million pound” funding investment, reportedly close to £2.3 million ($3 million) to aid Scotland in its bid to host the 2026 event to save the beleaguered games.
The Scottish government’s plans for the games are projected to cost between £130-£150 million ($162-$187 million) and see a reduced 11-day program of 10-13 sporting events staged at existing sports facilities in the city.
Glasgow will host the event for the second time having previously done so before in 2014.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were 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.
In its withdrawal, Victoria had to pay A$380 million to the CGF as compensation, £100 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.
Speaking on the announcement, Commonwealth Games Scotland chair Ian Reid stated: “Glasgow is one of the few cities in the Commonwealth that can deliver on time given its world-class facilities, experienced workforce and strong supply chain.
“This is a really exciting opportunity and we will be working hard over the coming days to bring the final pieces of the puzzle together. I would like to thank both the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia for their confidence and financial contributions to the project, which have ensured that the Games can continue, that public funds will not be required and which delivers a significant economic boost to the City of Glasgow and to Scotland.”
As recently as last week, Scotland’s plans seemed to have been in jeopardy as the UK government rejected a request by the Scottish government to underwrite the risk of the 2026 games, instead only offering to cover around £2.3 million of the financial risk.
UK sports minister Stephanie Peacock added that she had hoped the Scottish government would match that fee, although now it seems the Victoria government will instead.
While the short-term host of the 2026 games is set, the long-term future of the Commonwealth Games is still in doubt, with a host still required for 2030 after Alberta, Canada, also pulled out.
