Glasgow 2026: Can a stripped-back Commonwealth Games survive?

The Commonwealth Games have been running for 96 years, but the version opening in Glasgow this Thursday almost didn't happen at all. When Victoria, Australia withdrew as host in 2023, citing spiraling costs, the event's future suddenly looked uncertain. Commonwealth Sport leaders were caught off guard. After more than a year of scrambling, Glasgow stepped in to host for the second time—but this Games will look nothing like the one the Scottish city held in 2014.

The constraints are stark. Where Glasgow 2014 featured 18 sports and Birmingham 2022 expanded to 20, this year's edition will have just 10. Around 2,000 fewer athletes will compete. No new stadiums were built; athletics has moved from the 46,000-seat Hampden Park to Scotstoun Stadium, which holds just over 10,000. The budget has shrunk from £700 million to £800 million for previous Games down to £160 million. What might look like a crisis, though, organizers are framing as a reset. Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Sport, told the BBC the Games have never been stronger. "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," she said. The theory is that a leaner, cheaper, more sustainable model can actually survive longer. Ahmedabad, India, is already locked in to host in 2030, with the sports count expected to rise to between 15 and 18. New Zealand has publicly expressed interest in 2034, and Nigeria remains in the conversation.

But the stripped-back format comes as the Games face deeper questions about their relevance. Born in 1930 as the British Empire Games, the event carries the weight of that colonial history. Some athletes have reframed it as a force for good. England weightlifter Emily Campbell called the Games "one of the best things that came out of colonisation," while Olympic swimming gold medallist Tom Dean argued they can show "the best side of sport." Yet Glasgow's roster has been hollowed by absences. Max Whitlock, the Olympic gymnast, is injured. Kaylee McKeown, Australia's Olympic backstroke champion, is sidelined. But others have simply chosen elsewhere. Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800-meter champion, is skipping Glasgow for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham the following week—arguably the bigger track and field event of the summer. Dina Asher-Smith, Britain's fastest woman, is only running the relay. Julien Alfred, the Olympic 100-meter champion from St Lucia, pulled out entirely. Summer McIntosh, Canada's swimming superstar, is also absent.

There are bright spots. Josh Kerr, fresh off breaking the mile world record, will race for Scotland on home soil. Eilish McColgan returns to defend her title. Katerina Johnson-Thompson is chasing her third consecutive Commonwealth heptathlon gold. Adam Ramsay-Peaty will swim in the same pool where he won two golds in 2014. And for sports like netball, the Commonwealth Games remain a pinnacle event.

The most significant shift may be in Para-sport. This is the most integrated Commonwealth Games ever, with six of the 10 sports including Para-competitions. There are a record 47 Para-medal events, and crucially, medals won in Para-events will count toward the overall medal tally—unlike at other multi-sport competitions. Paralympic swimming champion Brock Whiston told the BBC that without the Commonwealth Games, smaller nations don't get the chance to demonstrate the power of integrated competition. "The Commonwealth Games is vital to ensuring there are equal opportunities," he said. Olympic swimmer James Guy, competing in his fourth Commonwealth Games, emphasized the event's role in athlete 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."

Ticket sales tell their own story. Glasgow 2014 sold around 1.3 million tickets—a figure this year will not approach. Sales have been strongest for athletics and cycling, but tickets remain available across all sports. A more significant challenge looms in the broadcast landscape. The BBC, which has covered 18 consecutive Commonwealth Games, has been replaced by TNT Sports as the live television broadcaster. While BBC Radio 5 Live will still carry coverage, there is no free-to-air live television. At a moment when the Games need to cut through to the general public, that absence of accessible coverage is a real headwind. The next 11 days will be telling. Whether Glasgow 2026 proves that smaller can work—or whether it exposes the limits of a Games stripped down too far—will shape everything that comes after.