Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Here’s why.
What happened?
Scotland’s Sport Minister Neil Gray announced the Scottish Government were happy with plans for a “scaled-back, but high-quality” Glasgow-based Games, and has written to the Commonwealth Games Federation requesting their official backing.
Part of the appeal for Scotland is that the Games will not require any public funding.
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) will be responsible for running the event.
Gray said the organisation would not call upon the UK or Scottish government for financial assistance but instead modify the scale of the event to meet financial constraints.
How did Australia contribute?
The state of Victoria was meant to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games but decided to withdraw in July 2023 due to high costs.
Following the decision, the State Government made a settlement payment totalling $380 million to several organisations to compensate for the unfulfilled promise to host the Games.
Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA), the organisation responsible for representing and promoting the Commonwealth Sport movement in Australia, was one of the beneficiaries of the Victorian Government’s settlement.
It’s pledged to financially assist Glasgow with hosting the 2026 edition.
CGA said it “welcomes the enthusiasm for the Games by the Scottish and UK Governments, and we want to do all that we can to make Glasgow 2026 a reality”.
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
Glasgow last hosted the Commonwealth Games with 18 events in 2014. The 2026 Games are set to be smaller, with just 10 sports across four sites within the city.
Gray said: “The fact that Glasgow was asked to step in and host the 2026 Games is a testament to Glasgow and Scotland’s fantastic reputation for hosting international events. That said, we have been clear that our financial resources are limited.”
