When are the Commonwealth Games 2026 and why are there fewer sports this time?
Athletes are arriving in Glasgow this week for the Commonwealth Games, which will be in Scotland for the second time in 12 years, for what will be a pared-down event
Glasgow is welcoming Commonwealth Games athletes ahead of the sporting event beginning on Thursday, with the Scottish city having stepped in to host at the eleventh hour.
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Around 3,000 athletes will be in Scotland's largest city for the Commonwealths, which will be a smaller affair, owing to Victoria, Australia, pulling out in 2024 and leaving planners no time to build infrastructure.
There will be 10 sports to see in Glasgow, down from 17 when the city last hosted in 2014, and the 11,000-capacity Scotstoun Stadium will be the smallest athletics stadium in recent games memory.
But even so, the Scottish hosts will be welcoming to all and the games will provide a strong boost to the local economy.
Here is what you need to know.
Where is the Commonwealth Games 2026 being hosted?
Amid some controversy, Glasgow stepped in to host the Commonwealth Games after Victoria state in Australia withdrew due to rising costs.
As well as fewer sports (see below), Glasgow has not built any new accommodation for athletes, and all of the sports arenas being used were seen in the 2014 games.
Ahmedabad in India will host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, with New Delhi having hosted it in 2010. The 2030 edition will be the centenary games, which were first held in 1930.
Commonwealth Games 2026 dates
The Games will begin with an opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro arena on Thursday, 23 July, and conclude with a closing ceremony on Sunday, August 2.
It is a pared-down version of the games, as Glasgow was a last-minute substitute host, with Victoria having pulled out.
Which sports are being staged for the Commonwealth Games in 2026, and on what dates?
There are only 10 sports at the games this time, with rugby sevens, hockey and cricket all being cut in 2024 as the venue changed hands.
When Glasgow last hosted in 2014, 17 sports were being participated in, while athletics was in the 52,000-capacity Hampden Park and is this time in the 11,000-seater Scotstoun Stadium.
- 3x3 Basketball: July 29,
- Artistic Gymnastics: July 24-28,
- Athletics: July 27 to August 1,
- Bowls: July 28 and August 1,
- Boxing: July 1,
- Judo: July 31, August 1-2,
- Netball: August 2,
- Swimming: July 24-29,
- Track cycling: July 30 - August 2,
- Weightlifting: July 26-30.
There are 215 medal disciplines across the sports.
Who are the star athletes competing in the Commonwealth Games?
The number of athletes taking part will be far smaller than in previous years, with a massive reduction in the number of sports on offer.
Swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan will compete after overcoming a spinal injury. The Australian, 22, is the world record holder for the 200m freestyle and Olympic Champion from Paris 2024.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty and Tom Dean are other big-name swimmers set to compete, with the former taking his new married name for the first time.
Jake Wightman, a former world 1,500m champion, will be among the star names in athletics, while Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah will be wanting to defend her sprint titles.
In judo, Sarah Adlington is hoping to win her third +78 kg gold, aged 39, in what will be her final professional competition.
How to watch the Commonwealth Games
For the first time, the games will be shown on TNT Sports and Channel 5, with the BBC having ended its 72-year run of broadcasting.
TNT Sports outbid the BBC for rights to show live action, and the Beeb will not show any of the games at all, with 5 having secured rights to a daily highlights package.
Tickets are still on sale, although prices range from £17 for some sessions of less popular sports to three figures for medal events for athletics and swimming.
Click here to buy tickets for the event from the official site.
Which countries compete in the Commonwealth Games?
Around 3,000 athletes from 74 countries will take part, with Togo and Gabon being involved for the first time.
The games is open to any nation that is part of the Commonwealth, which operates as a trade association for countries with mutual interests, the majority being former members of the British Empire.
Australia is the most successful nation in Commonwealth Games history, with more than 1,000 golds, ahead of England, Canada, and India.
Several nations have joined and left the Commonwealth over the years, with the most notable departures including Malaysia and Zimbabwe.
King Charles is the head of state for 15 of the 74 nations.
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Cook Islands
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- England
- Eswatini
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guernsey
- Guyana
- India
- Isle of Man
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- Northern Ireland
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Scotland
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- St Helena
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Tanzania
- Togo
- The Gambia
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Wales
- Zambia