Glasgow’s scaled-back Commonwealth Games is expected to be held over 11 days in July and August 2026.
An agreement was reached last month which will see the Games return to the city — which hosted the event in 2014 — after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out due to rising costs.
An update to Glasgow councillors reveals the event is planned for July 23 to August 2, 2026, and would be held across four venues: Emirates Arena/ Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre and the Scottish Events Campus.
There will be no new athletes’ village built for the Games, with competitors and officials staying in “existing accommodation across the city”.
While the model remains in development, it is expected “a 10-sport programme, fully integrating para competitions” will include “athletics and swimming as mandatory sports”.
The report states: “The concept is based on a significantly reduced budget, timeline and scale of event, therefore the approach and experience will be different to previous Commonwealth Games.”
It adds Victoria agreed to make a compensatory payment of around £190m to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Commonwealth Games Australia — and there is a “commitment from CGF to meet the entire cost of the Games”.
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) and CGF are finalising the remaining sports to be announced. Competitions would be contained with the four venues with “no road-based events”, according to the report.
Staff from the council’s arms-length organisation Glasgow Life, which runs culture and leisure services in the city, have been supporting CGS in “developing the costings for the new model”. The cost of their time has been reimbursed.
The report states a “capital works programme” has been identified across all three Glasgow Life managed competition venues (Emirates Arena/ Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre).
A games organising company, established by CGS, would deliver the event and talks are ongoing about Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life’s representation on the board.
The council will need to enter into a contract with the games organising company, once it has been set up. It will cover issues such as hire charges for the venues, the capital works required and the services to be provided by the council.
In the report, officials add: “This concept presents Glasgow with the opportunity to contribute to an innovative Games delivery model that will provide a more sustainable event proposition.
“The new model should also enable smaller countries and cities to host the Games in the future, which would have been otherwise unattainable for them.”
They continue: “While the look and feel of these Games will be different to Glasgow 2014, staging these Games provides Glasgow with an opportunity to sustain and enhance the sporting, economic, social and environmental legacy achieved through its hosting of previous major sporting events.”
A Glasgow 2026 programme board has been set up, chaired by the council’s chief executive, to oversee the city’s role in the Games.
It will monitor the “progress of delivery of the city’s operations and functions within the agreed budgets, ensuring a legacy for Glasgow”.
Councillors will be asked to grant permission for the chief executive and the council’s finance director to “negotiate and conclude all legal and financial agreements associated with the city’s role in hosting of the Games”.
