Fresh hope for troubled Commonwealth Games as seven nations express interest in hosting future events
16 April 2025, 10:34
Seven nations have expressed interest in hosting future Commonwealth Games.
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Five nations are focused on staging the centenary 2030 Games while two are looking at editions of the multi-sport event beyond that, Commonwealth Sport has announced.
The expressions of interest come from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, which mean Glasgow's hosting of the 2026 Games may signal a break of well over a decade before the UK hosts again, with Britain having hosted two of the last three Games.
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The seven bidding nations are a boost to the Commonwealth Games movement, with the whole concept having come under scrutiny after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as 2026 hosts.
Canada, India and Nigeria make up three of the five parties interested in 2030, while New Zealand is targeting the 2034 Games. Commonwealth Sport has not confirmed which future Games beyond 2030 that the other future bidder is looking at.
All of the bids are single rather than multi-nation and decisions around whether multiple cities within a country will host will be made when the bid delegations hold talks with Commonwealth Sport to discuss hosting plans.
Core sports including athletics and swimming must be included in the sports programmes but hosts will be afforded greater flexibility, with the optimal number of sports set to be around 15.
Hosts will also be encouraged to utilise existing facilities to reduce costs wherever possible.
Future Games must also maintain the full commitment to providing a level playing field for para and non-para sport.
Bidders for 2030 will now be expected to set out detailed hosting proposals before Commonwealth Sport leads an evaluation of those bids. The Commonwealth Sport executive board will then make a recommendation for a preferred host, subject to approval by its General Assembly at a meeting in Glasgow in late November.
Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir welcomed the "incredible interest" shown in hosting and again praised Glasgow for stepping forward to host in 2026, saying the city had set a "pioneering example" for future hosts.
The Glasgow Games will feature 10 sports staged at four venues within an eight-mile corridor.
