Commonwealth Games 2026: Glasgow hosts stripped-back event amid future doubts

It is an event that has been going for 96 years.

The Commonwealth Games have provided iconic sporting moments – from Roger Bannister's win in the 'Miracle Mile' of 1954 and Eilish McColgan breaking her mum's record in 2022 to England's netball victory four years earlier in Australia.

But the 2026 Games, which open in Glasgow on Thursday, come at an intriguing time for the event. Many doubted whether they would even happen - and when they do go ahead, they will do so in a stripped-back form.

So how did we get here? And do athletes and fans still care and what could the future hold?

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were thrown into doubt when its original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out in 2023 citing spiraling costs. That decision took even the leaders of Commonwealth Sport by surprise.

After more than a year of uncertainty, Glasgow stepped in to host the Games for the second time, following on from the highly successful event in the Scottish city in 2014.

But, with limited preparation time a significant factor, the Games' return to Glasgow a much smaller event.

There was competition across 18 sports in 2014 – a number that rose to 20 for Birmingham 2022 - but only 10 sports will feature this year.

There are expected to be around 2,000 fewer athletes and no new stadiums have been built, with the athletics events having moved from the 46,000-seater Hampden Park to the Scotstoun Stadium, which will hold just over 10,000 people.

Costs of running the event have been cut from between £700m and £800m for Birmingham 2022 and the Gold Coast Games in 2018 to £160m for Glasgow.

Whether by accident or design, organisers insist the situation has created a template for the future.

They believe a smaller, cheaper, more sustainable Commonwealth Games can last.

"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."

Crucially, the Commonwealth Games have already secured the Indian city of Ahmedabad as host for 2030, when the number of sports is expected rise to between 15 and 18.

Several countries have also expressed interest in hosting in 2034. New Zealand has done so publicly while Nigeria remains interested after challenging Ahmedabad's bid for 2030.

Having begun in 1930 as the British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games face questions about their place and relevance in the modern world.

England weightlifter Emily Campbell told the BBC the Games are "one of the best things that came out of colonisation" while three-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Tom Dean insists they can be a "force for good" despite the difficult past.

"It is even more reason to push the Commonwealths into the spotlight because it shows the best side of sport," he told BBC Sport.

However, the Glasgow edition has been hit by the absence of star names.

Injuries, such as those to Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Max Whitlock and Australia's Olympic backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown, are unavoidable and unfortunate.

But other athletes have opted to prioritise different events.

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is skipping Glasgow in favour of the European Athletics Championships, which start in Birmingham on 10 August and are arguably the bigger track and field event this summer.

Dina Asher-Smith, the fastest British woman in history, and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia have also pulled out. Canadian swimming superstar Summer McIntosh is another notable absentee.

But it is not all doom and gloom.

Josh Kerr, fresh from breaking the mile world record, will return to home soil to race for Scotland, as will McColgan.

Katerina Johnson-Thompson is chasing her third Commonwealth heptathlon title in a row and Adam Ramsay-Peaty returns to the same pool in which he won two golds in 2014.

The Commonwealth Games remain a pinnacle for sports like netball and there is also an increased focus on Para-sport, with this the most integrated Games ever.

Six of the 10 sports include Para-competitions with a Commonwealth Games record 47 medal events. Golds, silvers and bronzes won in Para-events will, unlike with other multi-sport events, count towards the overall medal total.

"There are not many opportunities for the integration of multi-sports [events]," Paralympic swimming champion Brock Whiston told BBC Sport.

"Without the Commonwealth Games, the smaller countries don't get the chance to show how powerful that integration is.

"The Commonwealth Games is vital to ensuring there are equal opportunities."

English swimmer James Guy, another Olympic champion who will be at his fourth Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, told BBC Sport the event remains a crucial part of an athlete's development.

"It is a bit easier to make than the GB team," he said.

"It is a really good way to get on there, get on a relay and get a medal and that is really important for development so the younger guys and girls can progress."

As ever, another major factor in assessing the potential longevity of the Commonwealth Games will be the response from fans.

Around 1.3 million tickets were sold in 2014 – a figure that will certainly not be matched this time.

Sales have been strongest for athletics and cycling but tickets remain available for all sports across the 11 days of competition.

There is also a significant change in the UK this year with the BBC, who had provided coverage for 18 Commonwealth Games in a row, being replaced by TNT Sports as the live television broadcaster. The Games are also available to watch on streaming service HBO Max.

While radio coverage remains on BBC Radio 5 Live, it means there will be no free-to-air live TV coverage.

That makes cutting through to the general public more challenging at a crucial time.

The next 11 days remain significant for the Games' future.