Glasgow has officially been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be a streamlined version of the multi-sport event. This decision comes after the original hosts, Victoria, Australia, withdrew last year due to rising costs.
The Games are set to take place from July 23 to August 2, 2026, featuring only 10 sports compared to the 19 that were part of the 2022 edition in Birmingham. However, para sports will once again be fully integrated into the event, with six para sports included in the schedule.
The sports featured in the 2026 Games will be:
- Athletics and para athletics
- 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
Notably, some sports from the 2022 Games, such as triathlon, diving, hockey, T20 cricket, squash, badminton, and rugby sevens, will not be included.
Around 3,000 athletes from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories are expected to participate. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has indicated that the event will bring in over £100 million ($130 million) of investment to Glasgow, without the need for public funding. Australia will also contribute to the financing after Victoria’s withdrawal, which was linked to a projected cost exceeding A$6 billion ($4 billion).
Katie Sadleir, CGF chief executive, expressed delight at confirming Glasgow as the host city, emphasizing the significance of the event for the Commonwealth sport movement.