Commonwealth Games 2026: One Year To Go
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1 week ago
Here's everything you need to know, plus where, when and how to get tickets
One year to go until the 2026 Commonwealth Games, meaning the countdown is officially on. Returning to Glasgow after the Scottish city played host in 2014, it’s pegged to be the most inclusive, eco-friendly games to date. Here’s what you need to know.
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The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport competition which takes place every four years. Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria had to pull out last year due to rising costs.
Glasgow’s 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held from 23 July until 2 August, an 11 day event beginning exactly 12 years after the city last played host. Today (23 July), to mark 365 days until the Games commence, the city revealed its 2026 mascot: a unicorn named Finnie with a traffic cone for a horn.
The first Games took place in 1930, under the name ‘British Empire Games’; the most recent games were hosted in Birmingham in 2022.
Having hosted in 2014, Glasgow is now the third city (after Auckland and Edinburgh) to have hosted the Games twice. The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will make use of existing venues and stadiums during its run; the 2014 Games wracked up a cost of over £540 million. Four venues will be utilised: the Emirates Arena, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, the Scottish Events Campus and Scotstoun stadium. Unlike previous years, a new athletes’ village will not be constructed. Instead, Glasgow will put competitors and officials up in existing accommodation across the city.
The most recent Commonwealth Games held outside the UK was Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018. Before that, it was Delhi, India in 2010.
Who Competes?
Competing nations are members of the Commonwealth of Nations – meaning most are former colonies of the British Empire but since 1949 any nation has been welcome to join regardless of its connection to the British Crown. That said, the first country to join the Commonwealth without any links to the UK was Mozambique in 1995, having gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
There are 56 Commonwealth countries, including places like Australia, Jamaica and Canada. But the Commonwealth Games Federation recognises 72 participants, with many dependent territories and associated states taking the opportunity to compete alone. For example, Britain’s four nations are united for events like the Olympics, but compete separately as England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games.
At the 2026 Commonwealth Games, around 3,000 athletes from up to 72 countries are expected to take part. Two Commonwealth members, Gabon and Togo, will compete for the very first time. Since the first Games in 1930, six nations have competed in every edition: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Wales.
What Sports Are Included?
Just 10 sports make up the 2026 stripped-back programme, with fully integrated para-competitions across six of them. While sports like hockey, diving and badminton have missed out (in fact, all racket sports will miss out), the sports we can expect to see at the 2026 Commonwealth Games are:
- Athletics and para-athletics – track and field only
- Swimming and para-swimming
- Track cycling and para-track cycling
- Boxing
- Artistic gymnastics
- Netball
- Weightlifting and para-powerlifting
- Judo
- Bowls and para-bowls
- 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball
At Glasgow 2014, 17 sports were contested. Interestingly, hockey has been dropped from the line-up, despite a new national hockey centre constructed for the 2014 Games costing £5 million. Likewise, street-based events like the triathlon and marathon have been removed from the programme; in 2014, these were free for spectators to attend.
How To Get Tickets
No news just yet on when tickets will go on sale, but you can stay up to date at glasgow2026.com, and register to receive information as soon as it is released.
