The 2026 Commonwealth Games kick off in Glasgow on 23 July, running through to 2 August as a scaled down 10 sport edition after Victoria’s costly withdrawal handed hosting duties to Scotland.
Australian fans have plenty to watch for, from swim megastar Kaylee McKeown’s shock withdrawal through illness to Kyle Chalmers and Cameron McEvoy chasing gold in the pool and the Diamonds hunting back to back netball glory under Liz Watson.
This edition also breaks new ground, staging the first fully indoor opening ceremony in Games history and the largest Para sport program ever assembled.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Schedule, Dates and Australian Time
Glasgow’s 11 day program runs from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August, and because Australia sits nine hours ahead of Glasgow’s British Summer Time zone during the Games, most evening finals will land in the early hours of the following morning back home.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Day by Day Schedule
| Glasgow Date | Day | Australian Viewing Window (AEST) | Medal Events That Day | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 July | Thursday | Evening of 23 July into early hours of 24 July | 0 | Opening Ceremony at The Hydro, Bowls and Para Bowls begin |
| 24 July | Friday | Evening of 24 July into early hours of 25 July | 14 | 3×3 basketball, swimming, boxing and gymnastics all get underway |
| 25 July | Saturday | Evening of 25 July into early hours of 26 July | 9 | First gymnastics and Para powerlifting finals, netball begins |
| 26 July | Sunday | Evening of 26 July into early hours of 27 July | 14 | Swimming and boxing finals continue |
| 27 July | Monday | Evening of 27 July into early hours of 28 July | 26 | Athletics and Para athletics begin at Scotstoun, weightlifting starts |
| 28 July | Tuesday | Evening of 28 July into early hours of 29 July | 27 | Heaviest medal day of the first week across the track, pool and platform |
| 29 July | Wednesday | Evening of 29 July into early hours of 30 July | 26 | Final day of swimming and 3×3 basketball, gymnastics finals wrap up |
| 30 July | Thursday | Evening of 30 July into early hours of 31 July | 17 | Track cycling begins at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome |
| 31 July | Friday | Evening of 31 July into early hours of 1 August | 21 | Boxing finals, judo begins, final day of athletics |
| 1 August | Saturday | Evening of 1 August into early hours of 2 August | 44 | Busiest single day of the Games, headlined by track cycling and judo finals |
| 2 August | Sunday | Daytime of 2 August (Australian evening) | 15 | Netball gold medal match, final judo and track cycling finals, Closing Ceremony |
Commonwealth Games 2026 Full Event Schedule by Sport
| Sport | Venue | Competition Window (Glasgow) | Typical Session Times (BST) | Equivalent Times (AEST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowls and Para Bowls | SEC Centre | 23 July to 2 August | Morning from roughly 08:30, evening through to about 22:00 | Roughly 17:30 and 07:00 the next morning |
| Para Powerlifting | SEC Armadillo | 24 July (single day) | 13:00 to 16:30 and 18:00 to 21:30 | 22:00 to 01:30 and 03:00 to 06:30, both the next morning |
| 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball | SEC Centre | 24 to 29 July | Three blocks, roughly 10:00, 14:30 and 19:00 starts | Roughly 19:00, 23:30 and 04:00, the last two rolling into the next day |
| Swimming and Para Swimming | Tollcross International Swimming Centre | 24 to 29 July | Morning heats from about 10:30, finals from about 19:00 | Roughly 19:30 and 04:00 the next morning |
| Artistic Gymnastics | Glasgow International Arena | 24 to 29 July, finals from 25 July | Sessions from around 10:00 through to 21:15 on finals days | Roughly 19:00 through to 06:15 the next morning |
| Boxing | SEC Centre | 24 to 31 July | Morning from around 11:00, evening through to about 21:45 | Roughly 20:00 and 06:45 the next morning |
| Netball | The Hydro | 25 July to 2 August | Three sessions, roughly 09:00, 14:00 and 19:00 | Roughly 18:00, 23:00 and 04:00, the last rolling into the next day |
| Weightlifting | SEC Armadillo | 26 to 30 July | Morning from about 09:30, evening through to about 21:00 | Roughly 18:30 and 06:00 the next morning |
| Athletics and Para Athletics | Scotstoun Stadium | 27 July to 1 August | Morning from about 10:00, evening finals through to about 22:00 | Roughly 19:00 and 07:00 the next morning |
| Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling | Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome | 30 July to 2 August | Afternoon from about 10:00, evening through to about 20:15 | Roughly 19:00 and 05:15 the next morning |
| Judo | SEC Centre | 31 July to 2 August | Two blocks, roughly 11:00 and 15:00 | Roughly 20:00 and 00:00 the next morning |
Session windows shift slightly day to day, so fans planning to stream a specific final should double check the exact start time closer to the day. Seven and 7Plus hold the free to air broadcast rights in Australia for the entire Games.
Commonwealth Games 2026 Host City Glasgow
Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, takes over hosting duties after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew in 2023 over spiralling projected costs, marking the fourth Commonwealth Games held in Scotland following Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986 and Glasgow’s own turn in 2014.
This leaner, more compact edition is staged across just four venues within an eight mile corridor, funded largely through compensation Victoria paid the Commonwealth Games Federation after pulling out, with corporate sponsors covering the remainder and no significant public money required to stage the event.
- No dedicated athletes’ village, with competitors housed in hotels and university residences
- Only athletics and swimming remain compulsory sports on the program
- First Commonwealth Games since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III as Head of the Commonwealth
- Sports dropped from Birmingham 2022 include rugby sevens, hockey, badminton, cricket, squash and table tennis
Glasgow 2026 Venues, Capacity and Sports Hosted
| Venue | Sports Hosted | Capacity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hydro | Opening Ceremony, Netball | 12,306 | Glasgow’s premier indoor arena, reused from the 2014 Games |
| SEC Centre | 3×3 Basketball, 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball, Bowls, Boxing, Judo | Temporary seating, capacity to be finalised | The busiest venue of the Games, hosting five different sports |
| SEC Armadillo | Weightlifting, Para Powerlifting | 3,000 | Distinctive shell shaped venue dedicated to lifting disciplines |
| Scotstoun Stadium | Athletics, Para Athletics | 10,000 to 11,000 | Newly renovated track hosting the marquee athletics program |
| Tollcross International Swimming Centre | Swimming, Para Swimming | 2,000 | The same pool used at the 2014 Games, once again home to the Dolphins |
| Glasgow International Arena (Commonwealth Arena) | Artistic Gymnastics | 5,000 | Purpose built arena for the gymnastics program |
| Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome | Track Cycling, Para Track Cycling | 2,000 | Named for Scotland’s cycling great, hosting the sprint and endurance program |
Countries Participating in the Commonwealth Games 2026
All 74 Commonwealth Games Associations are expected to send teams to Glasgow, with Gabon and Togo set to make their Commonwealth Games debut after joining the Commonwealth of Nations in 2022. That full list, grouped by region, reads as follows.
Oceania: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka
Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia
Americas and Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands
Europe and Home Nations: Cyprus, England, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland (host), Wales
Australian Team at Commonwealth Games 2026
Australia heads to Glasgow for its 23rd straight Commonwealth Games, having competed at every edition since 1930, fielding a green and gold squad of 250+ athletes under Chef de Mission Petria Thomas. NSW alone has chipped in $500,000 for the team, with 72 of the athletes hailing from the state.
| Sport | Australian Team Size | Notable Athletes or Squads | Why Australian Fans Should Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming (Dolphins) | 59 | Kyle Chalmers, Cameron McEvoy, Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Sam Short, Sam Williamson | Chalmers chases a seventh Commonwealth Games gold in the 100m freestyle, while Kaylee McKeown’s withdrawal through illness reshapes the medal picture in the pool |
| Athletics and Para Athletics | 86 | Nina Kennedy, Lachlan Kennedy, Peter Bol, Nicola Olyslagers, Cameron Myers, Jessica Hull | Pole vault champion Nina Kennedy headlines a squad that includes Myers taking on the return of the Commonwealth Mile |
| Netball (Diamonds) | 12 | Liz Watson (captain), Jo Weston, Courtney Bruce, Kiera Austin | The Diamonds chase back to back Commonwealth gold under Watson’s leadership after their Birmingham triumph |
| 3×3 Basketball (Gangurrus and Wombats) | 16 | Jonah Antonio, Amy Atwell, Tom O’Neill-Thorne, Eithen Leard | Australia’s standing and wheelchair squads both return in defence of Birmingham medals, with competition running 24 to 29 July |
| Cycling (Track) | 25 | Georgia Baker, Matthew Glaetzer era graduates in the sprint and endurance squads | A strong endurance and sprint program at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from 30 July |
| Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting | 18 | Eileen Cikamatana, Rory Scott | Twelve able bodied lifters qualified through world rankings, joined by six Para powerlifters |
| Gymnastics | 10 | Georgia Godwin, Kate McDonald | Australia’s men’s and women’s teams both compete for team and individual honours across 24 to 29 July |
| Boxing | 8 | Emma-Sue Greentree, Jye Dixon | All eight Australian boxers are Commonwealth Games debutants |
| Judo | 11 | Josh Katz, Danny Vojnikovich | Eleven judoka in action across the final days of the Games, from 31 July |
| Lawn Bowls and Para Bowls | 12 | Aaron Wilson, Ellen Fife | Australia’s bowlers compete across the entire fortnight, including three Para pairs |
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Commonwealth Games 2026 Mascot: Meet Finnie the Unicorn
Glasgow 2026 has its own mascot in Finnie, a unicorn chosen because the unicorn is Scotland’s national animal. She takes over from Clyde, the thistle-headed mascot who fronted the 2014 Glasgow Games, with Clyde stepping aside rather than “running” for the job again.
Finnie was shaped by input from 76 children across 24 Glasgow schools, a group the organisers nicknamed the Mascot Makers, and she made her official debut atop the Finnieston Crane on 23 July 2025, exactly a year out from the Opening Ceremony. Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney was on hand for the reveal alongside the Mascot Makers.
Every part of her look nods to a piece of Glasgow:
- Name: Taken from the Finnieston Crane, a disused crane that still stands over the Clyde
- Traffic cone horn: A cheeky reference to the local habit of placing a traffic cone on the head of the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art
- Silver shoe flash: A nod to Glasgow’s shipbuilding heritage
- Stars: A reference to the Barrowland Ballroom
- Purple mane: Inspired by the colour of The Hydro, the venue hosting the Opening Ceremony and netball
- Tartan outfit: A grey base threaded with blue, pink and purple
- Earring: Modelled on Glasgow’s coat of arms
- Friendship bracelet: Handmade by the Mascot Makers themselves
For Australian fans, Finnie will be the face popping up across broadcasts on Seven and 7Plus throughout the fortnight, much like Clyde was a constant presence during the 2014 Games.
