It has provided iconic moments for 96 years – Roger Bannister’s ‘Miracle Mile’ in 1954, England’s netball victory in 2018, Eilish McColgan breaking her mum’s record in 2022. But as the Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow on Thursday, many doubted the event would even happen this time. And the Games that do go ahead are stripped back to barely half their former size.
The crisis began when the original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out in 2023, citing spiraling costs. The decision caught even Commonwealth Sport’s leaders by surprise. After more than a year of uncertainty, Glasgow stepped in to host for a second time, following its highly successful 2014 event. But limited preparation time forced a radical downsizing.
“Glasgow hosts scaled-back 2026 Commonwealth Games after Victoria pulled out, with organisers betting on a cheaper model to secure the event's future.”
In 2014, there were 18 sports; Birmingham 2022 had 20. This year there are only 10. Around 2,000 fewer athletes are expected, and no new stadiums have been built. The athletics events moved from the 46,000-seater Hampden Park to Scotstoun Stadium, which holds just over 10,000. Costs have been slashed from between £700m and £800m for the last two Games to £160m.
Organisers insist the situation, whether by accident or design, has created a template for the future – a smaller, cheaper, more sustainable Commonwealth Games. “I don’t think we have ever been stronger,” Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Sport, told BBC Sport. “We took a hard look at ourselves and realised we needed to reset and reimagine this Games so it is an attractive proposition for our members.”
The event has already secured the Indian city of Ahmedabad as host for 2030, when the number of sports is expected to rise to between 15 and 18. Several countries have expressed interest in hosting in 2034 – New Zealand has done so publicly, while Nigeria remains interested after challenging Ahmedabad’s bid for 2030.
Yet questions about the Games’ place and relevance in the modern world persist. England weightlifter Emily Campbell told the BBC the Games are “one of the best things that came out of colonisation…” – a statement left unfinished in the source, but hinting at the ambivalence surrounding an event born as the British Empire Games in 1930. As the 2026 edition begins, its survival may depend on whether this leaner model can win over athletes, fans and future hosts alike.
