Glasgow has today (Tuesday) been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with 10 sports to be contested across four venues.
The four venues will be Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena (including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome), and the Scottish Event Campus.
The venues are located within an eight-mile corridor, with organisers seeking to make the Games more accessible to spectators and create a “festival feel”.
The Games will take place from July 23 to August 2, 2026. Glasgow will host a scaled-back Games, with sports such as hockey, cricket, rugby sevens, badminton and road cycling not included on the programme.
The 10 sports set to be contested are 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, and 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
Glasgow last hosted the Games in 2014, with the event hailed as one of the best ever. The city has stepped in to host the 2026 edition after the Australian state of Victoria last year announced that it would not proceed with hosting due to rising costs.
The majority of costs for Glasgow’s Games will be covered by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), using the A$380m (£195m/€234m/$254m) it secured in compensation from the Victorian state government following its withdrawal. The support will include £100m towards the cost of running the Games.
Last month, the Scottish government announced its support for Glasgow’s plans to host the Games. It came after Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) had set out its vision for Glasgow to host the event centred on a “compact” four-venue model.
The CGF has confirmed that over 500,000 tickets will be made available for the Games, with around 3,000 athletes scheduled to compete. It is projected that the Games will deliver over £100m of inward investment into the city and support over £150m of economic value added for the region. An additional multi-million-pound investment has also been secured for upgrading public sporting facilities.
CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir said: “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.”
CGS chief executive Jon Doig added: “When we started pulling this concept together just under a year ago, our focus was on creating a Games that was different – that could be delivered to the highest quality, in the short time frame, in a financially sustainable way.
“Glasgow 2026 will have all the drama, passion and joy that we know the Commonwealth Games delivers even if it is to be lighter and leaner than some previous editions. It will be more accessible, delivered on a smaller footprint which brings our fans closer to the sporting action.
“The Commonwealth Games has a special place in the hearts of athletes around the globe, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming them, their support staff and fans from all four corners of the Commonwealth to experience the famous Scottish and Glasgow hospitality. It is an exciting moment for the city and the country.”
