The Commonwealth Games 2026 — officially the XXIII Commonwealth Games, and known globally as Glasgow 2026 — are underway right now in Glasgow, Scotland, running from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
This is the fourth time Scotland has hosted the event, following Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986 and Glasgow in 2014. It is also the first Commonwealth Games held since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III as Head of the Commonwealth.
Quick facts at a glance:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | XXIII Commonwealth Games |
| Host city | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Dates | 23 July – 2 August 2026 (11 days) |
| Opening ceremony | 23 July 2026, OVO Hydro |
| Closing ceremony | 2 August 2026 |
| Nations/territories | 74 Commonwealth Games Associations |
| Athletes | Approximately 3,000 |
| Sports | 10 (including 6 integrated Para sports) |
| Medal events | 215 gold medals |
| Mascot | Finnie, a Glaswegian unicorn |
| Next host | Ahmedabad, India — 2030 Centenary Games |
Why Glasgow? The Story Behind the 2026 Commonwealth Games
If you followed this event a few years ago, you may remember a very different plan. Here is what actually happened.
The Australian state of Victoria was awarded the 2026 Games in April 2022, with events spread across Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland. On 18 July 2023, the Victorian government cancelled those plans after cost projections ballooned to an estimated A$6–7 billion — roughly double the expected economic benefit.
Gold Coast briefly floated a co-hosting offer and withdrew. Malaysia was offered around £100 million to step in and declined. Singapore explored a bid and passed. For a period, the 2026 Games looked likely to be postponed or scrapped entirely.
Glasgow rescued it. On 17 September 2024, the Scottish Government agreed to host a deliberately compact, low-cost edition, funded largely by roughly A$200 million in compensation from Victoria plus Commonwealth Games Federation and commercial money — meaning no significant new public funds and no new stadium construction.
The trade-off: this is the smallest sports programme since 1994, with no athletes’ village and every venue reused from Glasgow’s existing infrastructure.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Sports List — All 10 Sports
Glasgow 2026 features 10 sports across 215 medal events. Six of them include a fully integrated Para sport programme, and there are 47 Para finals — the largest Para programme in Commonwealth Games history.
| # | Sport | Gold Medals | Para Events Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletics | 43 | Yes — Para Athletics (16) |
| 2 | Swimming | 42 | Yes — Para Swimming (14) |
| 3 | Track Cycling | 18 | Yes — Para Track Cycling (8) |
| 4 | Weightlifting | 16 | Yes — Para Powerlifting (4) |
| 5 | Boxing | 14 | No |
| 6 | Judo | 14 | No |
| 7 | Artistic Gymnastics | 14 | No |
| 8 | Bowls | 4 | Yes — Para Bowls (3) |
| 9 | 3×3 Basketball | 2 | Yes — 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball |
| 10 | Netball | 1 | No |
Only athletics and swimming are compulsory sports from this edition onwards — a rule change designed to make future Games cheaper and easier to host.
Sports Dropped from Birmingham 2022
Eleven sports from the previous edition did not make the cut in Glasgow: cricket T20, field hockey, badminton, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon, beach volleyball, diving, rhythmic gymnastics and wrestling.
Some outdoor events within retained sports were also cut for cost reasons, including the marathon, race walking, road cycling and mountain biking.
Format Changes You Should Know
- The Mile returns to athletics for the first time since 1966, replacing the 1,500m. It is a tribute to the “Miracle Mile” between Roger Bannister and John Landy at Vancouver 1954 — and for the first time ever, women will contest a Commonwealth Mile.
- A mixed 4x400m relay has been added.
- Bowls moves indoors for the first time, dropping the traditional lawn format. Events fall from 11 to 7 as triples and fours are removed.
- 3×3 basketball expands to 12 teams per gender in the standing tournament.
- Swimming grows from 52 to 54 events, adding the men’s 800m freestyle and women’s 1500m freestyle.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Venues
Every venue sits within a compact corridor of roughly eight miles across Glasgow — one of the shortest venue footprints in Games history.
| Venue | Sports Hosted | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| OVO Hydro | Opening ceremony, Netball | 12,306 |
| SEC Centre | 3×3 Basketball, Bowls, Boxing, Judo | Temporary stands |
| SEC Armadillo | Weightlifting, Para Powerlifting | 3,000 |
| Scotstoun Stadium | Athletics, Para Athletics | 10,000–11,000 |
| Tollcross International Swimming Centre | Swimming, Para Swimming | 2,000 |
| Commonwealth Arena | Artistic Gymnastics | 5,000 |
| Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome | Track Cycling, Para Track Cycling | 2,000 |
The opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro was a first in Commonwealth Games history — the first ceremony ever held indoors.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Schedule — Day by Day
The full competition schedule was released on 31 July 2025. All times below are British Summer Time (UTC+1); India is 4 hours 30 minutes ahead.
| Date | Day | Sports in Action | Gold Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 23 July | Day 1 | Opening ceremony, early sectionals | 0 |
| Fri 24 July | Day 2 | Swimming, Gymnastics, Para Powerlifting, Bowls, Boxing, 3×3 | 14 |
| Sat 25 July | Day 3 | Swimming, Gymnastics, Bowls, Boxing, Netball, 3×3 | 9 |
| Sun 26 July | Day 4 | Swimming, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Bowls, Boxing, 3×3 | 14 |
| Mon 27 July | Day 5 | Athletics begins, Swimming, Gymnastics, Weightlifting | 26 |
| Tue 28 July | Day 6 | Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Bowls | 27 |
| Wed 29 July | Day 7 | Athletics, Swimming, Weightlifting, 3×3 finals | 26 |
| Thu 30 July | Day 8 | Athletics, Track Cycling begins, Weightlifting | 17 |
| Fri 31 July | Day 9 | Athletics, Track Cycling, Judo begins, Boxing | 21 |
| Sat 1 Aug | Day 10 | Athletics finals, Track Cycling, Judo, Boxing finals | 44 |
| Sun 2 Aug | Day 11 | Judo, Track Cycling, Bowls, Netball final, Closing ceremony | 15 |
Peak day: Saturday 1 August, with 44 gold medals decided — including 19 in athletics alone.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Full Medal Table
Standings as of 27–28 July 2026 (through Day 4, top 21 of 74 nations). Figures updated through each day of competition.
| Pos | Nation | 🥇 Gold | 🥈 Silver | 🥉 Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 65 | 41 | 52 | 158 |
| 2 | England | 26 | 41 | 35 | 102 |
| 3 | Canada | 18 | 20 | 21 | 59 |
| 4 | India | 13 | 17 | 9 | 39 |
| 5 | Scotland | 13 | 8 | 17 | 38 |
| 6 | Nigeria | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| 7 | Jamaica | 10 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 8 | 11 | 9 | 28 |
| 9 | Wales | 8 | 10 | 12 | 30 |
| 10 | Malaysia | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 11 | South Africa | 7 | 11 | 10 | 28 |
| 12 | Kenya | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 13 | Northern Ireland | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| 14 | Mauritius | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 15 | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 | Samoa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 | Jersey | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Cameroon | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 19 | Fiji | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 20 | Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Dominica | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | British Virgin Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | The Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Cyprus | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 25 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 26 | Uganda | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 27 | Singapore | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 28 | Namibia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 29 | Ghana | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 30 | Barbados | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Nauru | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | Lesotho | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 34 | Bermuda | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | The Gambia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Isle of Man | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Rwanda | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Tuvalu | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Papua New Guinea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Malta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
For Reference: Birmingham 2022 Final Standings
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 67 | 179 |
| 2 | England | 58 | 176 |
| 3 | Canada | 26 | 92 |
| 4 | India | 22 | 61 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 20 | 49 |
Australia, England, Canada, India and New Zealand also occupy the top five spots in the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table in that exact order. Hosts Scotland will be looking to improve on their 13 golds from 2022.
India at Commonwealth Games 2026
India named a 126-member contingent for Glasgow 2026 — 77 men and 49 women — later trimmed slightly after a small number of withdrawals. It is India’s 19th appearance at the Games since debuting in 1934.
Flagbearer: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu Baton bearer at the opening ceremony: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain
India’s Squad Breakdown by Sport
| Sport | Athletes |
|---|---|
| Athletics | 32 (22 men, 10 women) |
| Boxing | 14 |
| Judo | 14 |
| Weightlifting | 12 |
| Para Athletics | 11 |
| Artistic Gymnastics | 8 |
| Para Powerlifting | 7 |
| Bowls | 6 |
| Track Cycling | 6 |
| Swimming | 5 |
| Para Swimming | 5 |
| 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball | 4 |
| Para Track Cycling | 1 |
India’s Big Names to Watch
- Neeraj Chopra (Javelin) — Olympic champion and 2018 Commonwealth gold medallist, returning from a nine-month injury layoff. He faces stiff competition from Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem.
- Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting) — Birmingham 2022 gold medallist and Tokyo Olympic silver medallist.
- Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing) — Olympic bronze medallist and India’s first confirmed medallist of Glasgow 2026, guaranteed at least bronze after receiving a bye into the women’s 75kg semifinals.
- Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump), Tejaswin Shankar (High Jump), Gulveer Singh (Distance), Animesh Kujur (Sprints), Tejas Shirse (Hurdles).
- Srihari Nataraj (Swimming) and defending Para powerlifting champion Sudhir.
A Realistic Expectation
India won 61 medals in Birmingham. Glasgow presents a very different challenge: badminton, wrestling, hockey, squash and table tennis — five of India’s most reliable medal sources — are all absent from the programme. A smaller haul is almost certain, but the quality of India’s athletics, boxing, weightlifting and Para contingent means several golds remain firmly in play.
How to Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 Live
| Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| India | Sony Pictures Networks |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | TNT Sports (live), Channel 5 (highlights) |
| Australia | Seven Network |
| New Zealand | Sky |
Notably, Channel 5’s highlights deal ended the BBC’s 72-year run as a Commonwealth Games broadcaster.
Ticket prices started at £26 for medal sessions, £17 for non-medal sessions and £12 for concessions, with 500,000 tickets released.
Mascot, Baton and Identity
Finnie, the official mascot, is a Glaswegian unicorn — Scotland’s national animal — named after the city’s Finnieston Crane. Her horn is a traffic cone, a nod to Glasgow’s beloved tradition of placing one on the Duke of Wellington statue. She was designed by schoolchildren across Scotland and unveiled on 23 July 2025.
The King’s Baton Relay was launched by King Charles III on 10 March 2025, handed to Sir Chris Hoy as the first runner. For the first time, all 74 Commonwealth Games Associations received their own individual baton, crafted in Glasgow and free to be customised according to local culture — making this the longest and most inclusive baton relay in Games history.
The official Glasgow 2026 tartan, designed with Siobhan Mackenzie, carries 74 grey threads for the participating nations and 26 blue threads for the year.
What Happens After Glasgow 2026?
The closing ceremony on 2 August 2026 will include the formal handover to Ahmedabad, India, host of the 2030 Centenary Games — marking 100 years since the first British Empire Games in 1930. It will be only the second time India hosts the Commonwealth Games, after Delhi 2010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Commonwealth Games 2026 being held? Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026, across seven existing venues within an eight-mile corridor.
Why were the Commonwealth Games 2026 moved from Australia? Victoria withdrew in July 2023 after cost estimates rose to A$6–7 billion. Glasgow agreed to host a scaled-down version in September 2024.
How many sports are in the Commonwealth Games 2026? Ten sports and 215 gold medal events — the smallest programme since 1994.
Is cricket in the Commonwealth Games 2026? No. T20 cricket, hockey, badminton, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon, beach volleyball, diving, rhythmic gymnastics and wrestling were all dropped.
How many athletes has India sent to CWG 2026? India named a 126-member contingent across 13 disciplines, with athletics the largest group at 32 athletes.
Where can I watch CWG 2026 in India? Live coverage is on Sony Pictures Networks.
Who hosts the Commonwealth Games after 2026? Ahmedabad, India, hosts the 2030 Centenary Games.
Follow iSportsLeague.com for daily Commonwealth Games 2026 medal tally updates, Indian athlete results, live schedules and full event coverage through 2 August.
