IMAGE: Birmingham hosted the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 which kicked off with a grand opening ceremony. Photograph: Alex Davidson / Reuters
The Scottish capital of Glasgow is set to be announced as the host city of a “scaled down” Commonwealth Games in 2026, a year after Australian state Victoria pulled out due to ballooning costs, according to reports.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were to be held in multiple cities across Victoria but the Australian state made a shock announcement in July 2023 that it has pulled out of the multi-sport event citing a steep rise in projected expenditure.
The withdrawal, which led to the Victorian government paying 380 million Australian dollar (around USD 256 million) compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), dealt a major blow on an event that has lost relevance in recent years.
But it is learnt that the Australian authorities have promised “a multi-million pound investment” to help finalise Glasgow’s offer to rescue the multi-sport event.
“Glasgow, which hosted the games in 2014, is now close to confirming a scaled down event featuring fewer sports,” the BBC reported.
“The Scottish government is on the verge of agreeing a deal for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.”
The Scottish and United Kingdom governments had refused to use any public money towards the rescue bid, which was being largely bankrolled by a 100 million pound (around USD 130 million) supplement from the CGF.
UK government Health Secretary Neil Gray, however, warned that the 2026 Commonwealth Games would be different from when Glasgow previously hosted the event.
“Reputationally, my worry and the government’s worry has always been that there is going to be a comparison with the incredibly successful 2014 games, which by any stretch of the imagination both in terms of the performances, the spectacle that it was and the legacy, were going to be hard to match,” Gray said in the BBC report.
“But I’m hopeful that if we are able to recognise that if we are to go ahead, this is a different games, this is a smaller event.
“Fewer sports across fewer sites but with good collaboration we could see something coming forward that is still positive for Glasgow and for Scotland.”
He said discussions were ongoing to make sure “there is no financial risks to the government.”
The UK government last week assured the Scottish counterpart that no public money would be required to stage the Games.
Other reports said if Glasgow hosts the 2026 CWG, it would feature between 10 and 13 sports. The last edition in Birmingham in 2022 had 20 sports.
Existing facilities will be used and the Australian contribution is tipped to be used to help cover extra policing and security costs.
After Victoria government pulled out of the 2026 CWG, a number of other cities in Australia and around the world also turned down hosting the competition before the Glasgow rescue offer became public.
Commending Australia’s multi-million-pound investment offer, CGF President Chris Jenkins said his organisation fully endorsed the innovative, cost-effective sustainable concept Scotland has developed for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
