Scotland to Host 2026 Commonwealth Games After Australia Backed Out

Scotland has rescued the Commonwealth Games that were in jeopardy after Australia’s Victoria state backed out of plans to host the 2026 event.

Glasgow, which hosted the event 10 years ago, will do so again, though some sports will need to be dropped as the Commonwealth Games Federation aims to reduce costs to make the competition more sustainable in the future.

“It will be scaled back compared to 2014 but will be a celebration of sporting achievement,” Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney posted online on Tuesday. “Excited about Glasgow 2026.”

The Games had been scheduled for Australia’s Victoria state. The state government had promoted the multi-city model as a game changer, with the five regional centers hosting 20 sports and nine fully-integrated Para sports. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said his government budgeted $1.8 billion to stage the Games but estimates then put the potential cost as high as $4.8 billion.

“I’ve made a lot of difficult calls, a lot of very difficult decisions in this job,” Andrews said. “This is not one of them. … That (cost) does not represent value for money, that is all cost and no benefit.”

An inquiry later found the estimates they relied on were overstated. Victoria state agreed to a compensation package with the Commonwealth Games Federation, which will help offset costs for Scotland.

Scotland’s agreement to pick up the baton will not require any additional government funding, Health Secretary Neil Gray said.  The CGF has provided an additional $26 million of funding, including $6.5 million for Glasgow to use in part for capital upgrades, Gray said. The U.K. government will also set aside $3 million if contingency funds are exceeded.

The event held every four years was established in 1930 as the British Empire Games and is open to 74 nations and territories. It has been staged in Australia, Canada, England, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Birmingham hosted the 2022 Games.