Uganda takes on Wales in one of the netball games at the ongoing Commonwealth games. PHOTO via @bamulanzeki This time, the Games have fewer sports, more nations, and staring at an uncertain future COMMENT | Vaughan Cruickshank & Brendon Hyndman | The Australian state of Victoria was supposed to be gearing up to welcome athletes from around the world for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Instead, the competition is getting underway in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 2026 event was originally awarded to Victoria. However, the state withdrew in July 2023 because of increasing costs. It was feared this decision could lead to the games becoming extinct.
However, after discussions with numerous different cities, Glasgow was confirmed as the replacement host city in September 2024. So, what does this year’s event look like, who are the Australians to watch and what does the future hold for the games? Similar to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games is a long-standing international sports event held every four years, except for cancellations during world wars.
In contrast to the Olympics, they are open only to countries within the Commonwealth of Nations: predominantly English-speaking former colonies of the British Empire. In fact, the games were called the British Empire Games when they began in 1930. The title Commonwealth Games has only been used since 1978.
This year will be the 23rd Commonwealth Games. Most previous editions have been hosted by larger Commonwealth countries such as Australia (five times), Canada (four), England (four) and New Zealand (three). The Commonwealth nations represent a combined 2.5 billion people: nearly a third of the total world population.
A smaller event than usual The Commonwealth Games has always had fewer sports and fewer athletes than the Olympics. However, the 2026 event will be even smaller than usual. Glasgow’s pitch for hosting the 2026 games consisted of a scaled-down version.
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