Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland (CGNI) is delighted to hear that the Scottish Government is supporting Glasgow as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. This comes as welcome news after last year’s withdrawal of the Australian state of Victoria. We have every confidence that our colleagues at Commonwealth Games Scotland will deliver a superb Games, albeit within a tight timeframe. CGNI stands ready to provide any support that may be requested.
With the support of governments at Holyrood and Westminster confirmed, we are hopeful that hosting rights will be formally confirmed by the Commonwealth Games Federation at the earliest opportunity. Commonwealth Games Scotland has developed an exciting new delivery model that will maintain the highest quality while greatly reducing costs, making future editions of the Games more attractive to prospective hosts. This helps to ensure long-term sustainability of the Commonwealth Games which are so important for Northern Ireland sport.
The Glasgow 2026 Games will consist of a reduced programme, with approximately 10 to 13 sports expected to be included. Athletics and Swimming will be included, and we expect confirmation of the other sports over the coming weeks. CGNI will continue to work with our member governing bodies regardless of their inclusion in 2026, as we also look towards 2030 and beyond.
Conal Heatley (Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland)
‘We are delighted that the leadership shown by our colleagues in Scotland has been rewarded with government support at both Holyrood and Westminster. The recent announcement of financial assistance from Commonwealth Games Australia demonstrates the global importance of the
Commonwealth Games. We look forward to working with our partners at SportNI and our member sports to ensure that TeamNI can be optimally supported for Games in 2026. We have every confidence that Glasgow will once again prove to be a superb host city.’