2026 Commonwealth Games
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The 2026 Commonwealth Games, which have been held for 96 years, take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August.
This edition of the Games will be a slimmed down version of them, with only 10 sports featured and 2,000 fewer athletes taking part.
Also, no new stadiums have been built, with the athletics events having moved from the 46,000-seater Hampden Park to the Scotstoun Stadium, which has a capacity of just over 10,000 spectators.
The 2026 Games were thrown into doubt when their original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, withdrew in 2023, because of spiralling costs. Costs for the 2026 Games have been cut to £160 million (around €187.3 million).
After more than a year of uncertainty, Glasgow stepped in to host the 2026 Games for the second time, after successfully hosting them in 2014.
But, what of their future?
The organisers believe that a smaller, cheaper, more sustainable version of the Games can survive!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
