Glasgow’s 2026 Commonwealth Games needs to showcase an affordable and socially beneficial way of hosting sporting events

When Glasgow was announced as the replacement host^[1] of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, it hadn’t fended off much in the way of competition. The Australian state of Victoria had pulled out^[2] because of soaring costs, and there was not much appetite elsewhere to stage the event.

Earlier in the bidding process, interest from Kuala Lumpur, Cardiff, Calgary and Adelaide dissolved due to concerns over the expense involved. So why did Glasgow step forward? And will the decision eventually count as a win for Scotland’s largest city?

It certainly doesn’t have much time to get match fit, with only 18 months before the event kicks off in March 2026. At the time of writing, it is yet to build a functioning website^[3].

On the plus side, these Games are set to be a more affordable slimmed down version of what spectators have seen before. There will be just ten core events (down from 19), no athlete’s village, low key ceremonies and all events will be hosted in existing venues.

Overall, the aim appears to be to host a major sporting event with no cost to the public purse. Glasgow will also make use of the £100 million Victoria had to pay as a fine for backing out, and will be hoping to enjoy some of the benefits hosts have previously gained^[4].

Government reports on previous events in Birmingham^[5] (2022), Brisbane^[6] (2018) and Glasgow^[7] (when it hosted in 2014), point to numerous economic and social gains for the host cities, including increased tourism and more local participation in sport.

And fans of the Games will argue that it’s not all about the money – it’s about celebrating sport and the complex connection^[8] between the Commonwealth’s 56 member states.

For example, Australia has put forward a multi-million pound^[9] investment (on top of the compensation payment) in the Glasgow Games, citing the importance of the event in the development of Australian athletes. And athletes from smaller Commonwealth nations are likely to value the Games for providing a platform for their own sporting development and success.

Those smaller nations are unlikely to host the games themselves anytime soon. With the exception of Delhi (2010) and Kuala Lumpur (1998), the event has only ever been held in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the UK since it began in 1930. Ultimately, as an expensive proposition, the Games in their current format are a distant option for smaller nations in the Commonwealth to entertain.

Beyond the financial costs, the Commonwealth Games also faces questions about its relevance^[10]. A packed sporting calendar means that the Games are somewhat sidelined by events such as the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships, which can boast stronger global reach and better sponsorship opportunities.

In response, the Commonwealth Games Federation has made steps to innovate, with a strategy^[11] that suggests some genuinely fresh approaches to make the Games more appealing and affordable to potential hosts.

These include making sure para-sports are integrated into the core Games, as well as making the overall events more sustainable, by increasing hosting benefits and being more cost effective. Ultimately, if the Commonwealth Games are to continue to be viable, they need to demonstrate something known as “shared value”^[12] – where commercial boosts and other positive effects are widely felt.

Glasgow is a sensible choice for a fairly imminent Games needing quick solutions. It can use the experience of hosting the event in 2014 (when it had seven years to prepare) and is a city rich in sporting and cultural expertise, with well connected local^[13] and national^[14] strategies for economic and social development.

Organisers of Glasgow 2014 were able to establish plenty of sponsorship from Scottish companies, which successfully brought some local character to the Games. Among them was the maker of Scotland’s “national drink” Irn Bru^[16].

As a host city, Glasgow has shown itself to be inventive and collaborative in its approach, leading the way towards more sustainable events. The European Athletics Championships^[17] of 2018, were held across two cities – Glasgow and Berlin – for the first time. In 2023 the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships^[18] brought together 13 smaller championships into one joint event which was partly held in Glasgow.

Hopefully Glasgow’s canny approach and experience will result in a Commonwealth Games which feels revived and refreshed. It may be less glitzy and smaller than previous editions, but recent research suggests that major sport events may have passed their peak^[19] anyway when it comes to magnitude and growth. And a gradual reduction in size could potentially make them more beneficial and sustainable for host cities – and society in general.

References

1. ^{^} replacement host (www.bbc.co.uk)
2. ^{^} pulled out (www.bbc.co.uk)
3. ^{^} functioning website (glasgowgames2026.com)
4. ^{^} previously gained (www.ingentaconnect.com)
5. ^{^} Birmingham (www.gov.uk)
6. ^{^} Brisbane (www.publications.qld.gov.au)
7. ^{^} Glasgow (www.gov.scot)
8. ^{^} the complex connection (link.springer.com)
9. ^{^} multi-million pound (commonwealthgames.com.au)
10. ^{^} its relevance (www.elgaronline.com)
11. ^{^} strategy (www.commonwealthsport.com)
12. ^{^} “shared value” (www.tandfonline.com)
13. ^{^} local (www.visitglasgow.org.uk)
14. ^{^} national (www.visitscotland.org)
15. ^{^} Mino Surkala/Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com)
16. ^{^} Irn Bru (psa.marketingsociety.com)
17. ^{^} European Athletics Championships (www.europeanchampionships.com)
18. ^{^} UCI Cycling World Championships (www.uci.org)
19. ^{^} passed their peak (www.sciencedirect.com)