Glasgow to host scaled-back Commonwealth Games in 2026

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Glasgow is set to host a pared-back Commonwealth Games in 2026 after the Scottish government agreed a rescue package backed by a multimillion-pound investment from Australian authorities.

Neil Gray, health minister, said on Tuesday he had written to Commonwealth Games Scotland in support of its proposal, following detailed consideration of a “scaled-down version” of the event.

Glasgow, which hosted the competition in 2014, stepped in when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew its bid last year, citing the spiralling cost of hosting the games.

No public funding would be needed, Gray said, amid concerns over the expense of holding the games while public services face £500mn of spending cuts this year in Scotland.

The majority of the costs would be borne by the Commonwealth Games Federation, using compensation paid by the Victorian government after it cancelled the 2026 event.

A multimillion-pound investment from Commonwealth Games Australia, which will be finalised “shortly”, was agreed in recognition of the games’ importance to Australia’s sporting system, Gray said.

The CGF has provided a further £20mn to support delivery, including £5mn for Glasgow city council to upgrade its facilities and fund a programme of cultural events.

The UK government has also agreed to £2.3mn in contingency funding in case existing budgets fail to cover the final costs.

Gray, answering a question in Holyrood, said the Glasgow games had received an additional £24mn of funding commitments since negotiations began over an emergency package to pay for the event.

The package will be bolstered by commercial income from ticketing, sponsorship, hospitality and merchandising. Gray added that the event would “help support a new future for the Commonwealth Games and deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland”.

The competition was known as the British Empire Games when it started in Canada in 1930, amid fears that the US was dominating the Olympics. The Commonwealth Games has in recent years come under pressure because of its colonial origins and the lack of willing host countries.

The games’ reliance on public funds had been exposed before Victoria opted to withdraw as host of the 2026 edition. The South African city of Durban was meant to hold the 22nd games in 2022, which was instead shifted to Birmingham due to “financial constraints”.

Despite the challenges, the Commonwealth Games has won plaudits for making an impact in cities that would struggle to justify the expense of hosting global events, such as the football World Cup or the Olympics.

The event is also an opportunity to compete for athletes in countries that have historically struggled to win medals in the Olympics.

“The reimagined model would help to inform future games . . . and encourage hosts for 2030 and beyond,” said Gray.