Glasgow opens 2026 Commonwealth Games in scaled-back edition

sportsJul 23, 2026701,022

Glasgow opened the scaled-back 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out at short notice and Glasgow offered to host. Organisers are staging only 10 of the 17 sports that featured in 2014 and selling about half a million tickets, compared with 1.5 million when Glasgow last hosted the event. The budget is about £150m, less than a third of the £550m spent in 2014, and some funding comes from compensation Victoria paid after spending A$589m (about £300m) before withdrawing. Local vendors reported slow early sales of merchandise and several residents said awareness has been low, though many expressed fond memories of 2014 and welcomed the city getting busy again. Broadcasting has shifted away from the BBC for the first time since 1954, with Warner Bros Discovery holding rights and Channel 5 carrying the opening ceremony and some highlights. A day before the opening, organisers reported many events were not sold out and Glasgow continued to adapt after a major city centre fire disrupted transport in the run-up to the games.

Pat G🇨🇦 🍁🏳️‍🌈🍉

@pguist.bsky.social

🇨🇦 Good luck, Team Canada! 💪 Best of luck to the 149 Canadian athletes competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. 🍁

14845d ago

MaggieFlynn2

Most Americans wish you well.

Doctor Who Production News

@doctorwhopn.bsky.social

King Charles and Queen Camilla opened the Commonwealth Games by stepping out of the TARDIS.

9644d ago

Doctor Who Production News48

Sylvester McCoy was there too!

🎃 Agent Pumpkin 🎃11

They'll let anybody in to the TARDIS these days. 😆

Venusian Interloper2

The Doctor is canonically a royalist by way of being a British national icon but you will never make me believe they actually support the crown

Quoting this

Neil Norman And His Cosmic Orchestra77

Well, that’s the radical new direction for the show which has clearly been on the cards for a while:

Verypete Lambert24

Hi Pete from 1989! You've only got access through the time portal for another 5 seconds? OK quick, read this:

Simon Threadgold18

… and spoiling it by telling everyone who wins.

Bully, Little Stuffed Bull 🐮17

I'm not really excited at all by the new Doctor and Companion.

Moley𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕖12

Another bi-generation so soon? #DoctorWho

Joy Content 🏳️‍⚧️🐒9

damn guess christopher eccleston will never want to return to doctor who now

M☿th8

Not sure about this recasting

grumpykiltpin8

The new series of Doctor Who is looking a bit shit.

Meepy5

Not sure about the new Doctor, tbh.

Mrs Quent4

I love the fact he’s wearing woven friendship bracelets

John Swinney

@johnswinney.bsky.social

Loving the Team Scotland tartan which I am looking forward to wearing tonight at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games!

7944d ago

Iainwith2ayes3

Big shout out to www.elladoherty.com representing Scotland at Basketball and also wearing the tartan tonight

Le Dog2

Loved Valtos at the opening ceremony. Don’t love the fact the People of Scotland can’t actually watch the games FTA. That’s disgraceful.

Maggie Noakes2

That's a lovely tartan. Great to see all the kilts and Saltires. Don't take no for an answer. Democracy for Scotland.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Peter1

Don't care, what about Independence you know what you were elected to deliver.

Quoting this

Andrew Sharpe 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿|🇪🇺25

Why do these international sporting events always have to be more and more expensive to the point of being unaffordable? Scotland showing the world how a less brash and more thoughtful approach can return the focus to the athletes, not the spectacle.

Devin Heroux

@devinheroux.bsky.social

OPENING CEREMONY DAY HAS ARRIVED Good morning from Glasgow sports fans. The Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony is slated for tonight and anticipation is building. CBC TV is carrying it live starting with a preshow at 2:30pm ET leading into the ceremony.

5545d ago

The Guardian

@theguardian.com

‘People are looking at Scotland for good fun’: Glasgow prepares for Commonwealth Games

3645d ago

jeesjess.bsky.social1

Just to say that if you have access to BBC I-player, live coverage of the Games will be shown on BBC Alba.

Neil Norman And His Cosmic Orchestra

@fubsyshabaroon.bsky.social

“Doctor Who’s old hat, it’s had its day, and isn’t culturally relevant anymore.” The Commonwealth Games:

3044d ago

Simon Threadgold9

Literally the only reason I know the Commonwealth Games are on is because Doctor Who.

Marcus Kelson

@marcuskelson.bsky.social

Bloody hell the Commonwealth Games is still a thing? Well l guess it’s our four yearly reminder that England was once the largest colonial power on the planet specialising in slavery and genocide.

3544d ago

Nina Reeder🇺🇦🇵🇸🐕🦚🍉🍉1

I did like Charlie and wife coming out of a Dr Who Tardis! Are the Scots having a laugh.

Pandymonium1

Still specialising in both, via its many colonies.

Anna Harper1

Didn’t even know it was on.

Davenant 📸

@marcdavenant.bsky.social

After touring continuously since 2023 the Outsiders exhibition comes to a close in Glasgow this week. 13 venues, 130,000 visitors. It couldn’t have happened without your support marcdavenant.com/2026/07/21/o...

2946d ago

Andy Aitchison1

An incredible achievement Marc! hats off to you for bringing this subject in front of so many people. It will have made some very important changes. 👏👏

Ewan 🎵✨🌳🏔️1

Heading there tomorrow and thoroughly looking forward to it.

Edward Philips Art

@edwardphilips.co.uk

Here’s a late-night huzzah for the Commonwealth Games Tunnock xx

2044d ago

Ken #MDANT

@kenfaefife.bsky.social

Oh, I know I can be a bit cynical but do you think BBC would have found the money to cover the Commonwealth Games if they had been hosted in London?

1845d ago

Neil Miles

@neilsmiles.com

A very happy Commonwealth Games to all (two) of you who celebrate!

A teletext page commemorating the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh

1945d ago

Sam and King Lucy the 1st

@kinglucythe1st.bsky.social

I see that the Commonwealth Games are on TNT Sports so most of us can't watch. I am really unhappy about this. I enjoy the Commonwealth Games and was looking forward to watching.

2445d ago

JFC Windmill2

Same for the Tour de France cycling

welshswede.bsky.social2

Slap in the face of the athletes who’ve trained so hard for this. My daughter swam for 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 in the Manchester games and I have all the recordings from tv.

Lost in History, OBC 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇬🇱🇵🇦2

Cut down games and behind a payroll. I did enjoy it 12 years ago, went to the hockey. Hope it is as much a success as it can be though

rhondafg.bsky.social1

On Ch7 FTA here at home. Sorry Sam. 🇭🇲

Lord Oma of somewhere1

I just took a look. It's crazy and IMO very bad for the long term growth of the event. Sport is eating itself. Short term financial gain, TNT are probably paying vast amounts, for the loss of kids seeing an event and wanting to take part or the sponsor who wants maximum exposure.

WoollyLiberal1

Money talks. Lots of money shouts. Same reason the TdF live rights also went to TNT I would say there's a case to be made that the Games (especially in Glasgow) should be a class A protected event under the Broadcasting Act. But the're class B. Only highlights are protected free to air

JAZ!

@jazzo.bsky.social

Get Right Up Andy Burnham. Flower of Scotland Commonwealth Games Glasgow

1544d ago

Kenny Stewart

@kennystew.art

I know not everyone is a fan of the Commonwealth Games but it is objectively cool to have people from all over the world cutting about and having a nice time in our city again.

2244d ago

Paul Sandars🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@paulsandars.bsky.social

BBC News - Glasgow set to welcome the world for scaled back Commonwealth Games - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1545d ago

3 sources

theguardian.com‘People are looking at Scotland for good fun’: Glasgow prepares for Commonwealth Games rnz.co.nzCommonwealth Games: Bowlers get ball rolling for NZ team at Glasgow bbc.co.ukCommonwealth Games: Netball's basketball roots and 2032 Olympic dreams

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Glasgow opens 2026 Commonwealth Games in scaled-back edition

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