Sea shanty star Nathan Evans, who became a viral sensation during the pandemic, is set to perform at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. He will sing before King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the packed Hydro venue, with a global audience of billions watching.
From Nashville to Glasgow: A Homecoming Performance
Evans and his band Saint Phnx—brothers Alan and Stevie Jukes—have been writing songs in Nashville for weeks. They will fly across the Atlantic for what they describe as the biggest gig of their lives. The trio joined travelling Scotland fans in Boston for the World Cup finals and aim to bring that celebratory spirit back to Glasgow.
“Seeing everybody coming together especially with everything that’s going on in the world at the minute. It’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” Evans said.
Bandmates Reflect on Scottish Pride
Bandmate Alan Jukes highlighted the positive energy Scots brought to America during the World Cup. “For all the right reasons the spotlight was on Scotland and Scottish people because of the positive energy we brought to America in numbers. The focus is back in Scotland now with the Games,” he said. “Some of the things going on in the world are a bit crazy just now, but the positivity Scottish people brought to America was amazing. That spotlight is on us at home now, and we can showcase how great the place is and how good the people are. I know Glasgow will do these Games justice and we will have an amazing experience.”
Brother Stevie Jukes joked about their preparation: “We prepared by going to Nashville to make a new album. To be honest, once you start over-thinking things then you can over complicate things. We know what we can do, for us it’s a case of going out there and putting on the best show we can and doing exactly what we do best.”
Lineup and Legacy
The band will join KT Tunstall, Tom Walker, Callum Beattie, and Skye electro-folk group Valtos at the opening ceremony, which will be broadcast live on TNT, Channel 5, and in Gaelic on BBC Alba. They follow in the footsteps of Scots legends like Lulu, Dougie Maclean, Karen Matheson, Deacon Blue, Amy Macdonald, Karen Dunbar, and Susan Boyle, who performed at the 2014 ceremonies in Celtic Park and Hampden.
Alan Jukes recalled advice from friends in Prides, who performed at the 2014 Closing Ceremony: “Our pals from Prides, who performed at the Closing Ceremony in 2014 at Hampden, told us how amazing it was to be at the centre of something so big, such a massive occasion shown all around the world. Our mum is chuffed to bits. We are two brothers from Wishaw and when you think about the billions of people watching us, playing in front of the King and Queen it’s amazing. What a thing to be part of. But we have worked so hard and we deserve to be where we are. And we can put on a good performance for Scotland, we want to do as good a job we can, as good a job as the athletes want to do too. We’re really looking forward to everyone coming together and mingling with everyone coming to the city.”
Games Details and Athletes
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will feature 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories competing in 10 sports. Para sport events are fully integrated, and the first medal ceremony will be for para powerlifting—a first in Games history. The band will depart immediately after the opening ceremony for tour dates in England but will return to Scotland before the Games conclude.
Evans said: “We will be home in time for the athletic events and I’m looking forward to that.”
A Summer of Milestones
The opening ceremony gig is part of a massive summer for the band, who will headline the Heather on the Hill Festival in August. Evans and the boys curated the lineup, which includes Cammy Barnes, soul singer Brooke Combes, and folk favourites Skerryvore. Evans noted: “We’ve sold out 30,000 tickets and it’s just another pinch me moment, after performing at the Opening Ceremony.”
Evans’s success mirrors that of 2014 Games boxing star Charlie Flynn—both were postmen before achieving fame. He attributes his rise to embracing Scottish identity: “I think it’s people embracing our Scottishness. A lot of people shy away from it, but we’ve embraced it. Some people when they travel they dilute that in themselves a little bit, but the more I have travelled, the more I meet different people from all corners of the world. It’s about being proud of where I am from. I love having people from all over enjoy what we sing about, enjoy our storytelling. There’s something in the Scottish nature that you won’t find anywhere else. We are built different.”
