It has now been confirmed that the Commonwealth Games will return to Glasgow as the host city for the 2026 Games.

The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games were due to take place in Victoria, Australia.

They will now take place in Scotland from Thursday, July 23, to Sunday, August 2, 2026, returning to the city 12 years after the hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir NZOM said: “On behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement, we are delighted to officially confirm that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in the host city of Glasgow.

“The Games promise to be a truly immersive festival of sport and celebration of culture and diversity that inspires athletes and sports – with a fan experience more accessible than ever before.

“With the Commonwealth Games held in such high esteem by athletes, sports and nations across the Commonwealth, we have been working tirelessly with our fellow stakeholders to ensure a high-quality Games will take place in 2026 – securing this vital milestone in the career pathway for thousands of athletes.

“The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow – an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact – in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting.

“With the reassuring legacy of Glasgow 2014 providing existing sporting, transport and accommodation infrastructure, and world-class venues and expertise, we look forward to working with the Glasgow team to deliver a very special Commonwealth Games in 2026.

“Our Movement’s commitment to sport for development and social change remains central to Glasgow 2026 and beyond – with full integration of Para sport a priority the Games will continue to be an inspiring and impactful platform.’’

Glasgow 2026 will feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, ensuring an action-packed broadcast schedule across each day of competition and making the event accessible and appealing to spectators looking to enjoy the multi-sport environment and festival feel.

The Games will take place across four venues: Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena – including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) with athletes and support staff will be housed in hotel accommodation.

Para sport will once again be fully integrated as a key priority and point of difference for the Games, with six Para sports included on the sport programme.

The sports programme will include Athletics and Para Athletics (Track & Field), Swimming and Para Swimming, Artistic Gymnastics, Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling, Netball, Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting, Boxing, Judo, Bowls and Para Bowls, and 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball.

With over 500,000 tickets to be made available at a future date, there will be around 3,000 of the best athletes competing from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories that represent 2.5 billion people – one-third of the world’s population.

Scotland’ First Minister John Swinney said: “The Commonwealth Games is a hugely important event for Scottish sport and an exciting opportunity for the people of Scotland.

“As well as an action-packed, inclusive sports programme that will inspire and excite audiences across the globe – Glasgow 2026 will also be a cultural celebration.

“I would like to thank Commonwealth Games Scotland for their hard work and dedication to produce a viable proposal for Glasgow 2026 – and to the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia for their assistance in helping to secure the Game.

I believe this epitomises the Commonwealth spirit and willingness to work together. While Glasgow 2026 will look quite different to previous Games, we can, and we must, use this as an opportunity to work collaboratively to ensure that this new concept brings a strong and sustainable future for the Games.

“The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in building that new vision.”

The Glasgow 2026 Games will deliver over £100 million of inward investment into the city and is projected to support over £150 million of economic value added for the region, with a model that has been specially designed to not require public funding for the delivery of the Games.

An additional multi-million-pound investment has also been secured for upgrading public sporting facilities, alongside funding for city activation projects across the city.