Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of its planned staging of the event.
Victoria withdrew from hosting the event due to escalating costs. Glasgow — which already has much of the existing infrastructure having most recently hosted the games in 2014 — will now stage the events across across four venues between July 23 and August 2, 2026.
On Tuesday, the Commonwealth Games Foundation (CGF) formally confirmed the Scottish city as replacement hosts and the games will consist of a stripped-back programme of 10 sports — down from the 17 disciplines featured in 2014.
Glasgow. It’s good to be back ❤️
🗓️ 23 July – 2 August 2026#Glasgow2026 pic.twitter.com/gesFlyYvNC
— Glasgow 2026 (@Glasgow_2026) October 22, 2024
Badminton, hockey, rugby sevens and raquet sports are among those that will not feature on the schedule, while there will be no diving competitions.
Other disciplines have been slimmed down including cycling — there will be no mountain biking or road races — and there will be no rhythmic gymnastics, with only artistic gymnastics scheduled.
The CGF said the decisions to drop sports were based on multiple factors, including “universality of participation and quality of competition” as well as domestic appeal, with six of the remaining 10 disciplines to feature “fully integrated para-competitions.”
Track and field athletics and para-athletics will still feature, alongside swimming and para-swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and para-track cycling, netball, weightlifting and para-powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and para-bowls, 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
The competition organisers said they understand the “incredible disappointment” of those disciplines excluded, but this will not rule them out of future inclusion.
Commonwealth Games federation CEO Katie Sadleir said the Glasgow event will be a “festival of sport and celebration of culture and diversity”, which would have a “fan experience more accessible than ever.”
Scotland’s First Minister John Sweeney said the event will “inspire and excite audiences across the globe.”
It is expected that 3,000 athletes from across 74 Commonwealth nations and territories are expected to compete in the Glasgow event.
GO DEEPER
What are the Commonwealth Games and what do you mean they’re starting soon?
(Steve Taylor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
