The 23rd Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow with a reduced format after the original hosts, Victoria, paid AUS$380m (£199m) to withdraw due to feared losses. Glasgow stepped in to host a cheaper event with only 10 sports, down from 19 in 2022.
Bullish organisers, but challenges remain
Phil Batty, chief executive of Glasgow 2026, said: “This definitely isn’t the last hurrah for the Commonwealth Games. What we’ve seen is a wholesale shift of what the Commonwealth Games needs to do to sustain itself, not just to 2030, but to 2034, 2038 and beyond.”
However, tickets remain widely available for most events. Track and field moves from the 46,000-seater Hampden Park to Scotstoun Stadium, which holds just over 10,000, yet tickets are available for almost every session.
TV coverage and star athletes
UK viewers will not see free-to-air coverage for the first time since 1954. TNT Sports bought the rights for a reported £5m, with the BBC offering considerably less. TNT promises over 600 hours of live coverage on HBO Max for £4.99.
Among the stars competing are new mile world record holder Josh Kerr, double Olympic breaststroke champion Adam Peaty, and Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy. Notable absentees include Keely Hodgkinson, Summer McIntosh, Oblique Seville, Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi, and Julien Alfred.
Financial doubts and future hosts
Birmingham 2022 cost an estimated £778m, while Victoria’s auditor general called the Games “a waste of taxpayer money” with no “discernible benefit”. Ahmedabad in India has agreed to host the 2030 edition, but questions remain over whether other governments will risk taxpayer money.
Batty remains confident: “This is going to be a Games that stands shoulder to shoulder with previous Games... We have created a format of the event that’s flexible, relevant and integrated para-sport. Therefore this is something that’s going to continue for many editions going forwards.”
The closing ceremony will feature Simple Minds. Over the next 10 days, the viability of the Games will become clearer.
