From Victoria to Glasgow, the 2026 Commonwealth Games has endured a wild ride over the past four years. It all gets underway this week in Scotland with over 70 Commonwealth nations competing for glory across a range of sports.
So, what events are included? Which events have been scrapped? When will it begin? And how can you watch all of the action?
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Commonwealth Games:
When do the Commonwealth Games begin?
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will begin on Thursday, July 23 with the opening ceremony to take place at the OVO Hydro, an indoor arena in Glasgow.
Competition will begin the next day, on Friday, July 24, with 3x3 basketball, lawn bowls, boxing, and swimming all getting underway. The games will run until the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 2.
Why is Glasgow hosting the Commonwealth Games?
It hasn't been the smoothest road to the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The state of Victoria, in Australia, was confirmed as host in late 2022, only to withdraw nine months later, citing rising costs associated with staging the event.
In October, 2024, Glasgow was announced as the new host, though the Games and competition would be scaled back significantly.
What events will feature at the Commonwealth Games?
The 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games features a streamlined, 10-sport program. The sports included in competition are:
Athletics & Para Athletics (Track & Field)
Swimming & Para Swimming
Artistic Gymnastics
Track Cycling & Para Cycling
Netball
Weightlifting & Para Powerlifting
Boxing
Judo
Lawn Bowls & Para Bowls
3x3 Basketball & 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball
Sports featured at previous editions of the Commonwealth Games to not be included in Glasgow include cricket, hockey, and rugby sevens.
A comprehensive competition guide and schedule of events can be found HERE.
How and where can I watch the Commonwealth Games in Australia?
The Commonwealth Games are available to watch in Australia on the Seven Network. Competition will be viewable every day across Seven, 7mate, and 7plus.
What time will each day's competition take place?
Competition in Glasgow will begin at approximately 8:30am local time (5:30pm AEST) each day and run until approximately 10pm local time (7am +1 day AEST).
Most swimming and athletics finals will be staged between 7pm-10pm local time (4am-7am +1 day AEST).
What do the Commonwealth Games medals look like?
Who is on the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games?
Australia is fielding a contingent of 256 athletes for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Of those, 60 are members of the Dolphins (swimming team) and 86 will compete across track and field competition.
Why is Gout Gout not competing at the Commonwealth Games?
Australian sprint superstar Gout Gout made the decision to skip the Commonwealth Games in February, instead electing to focus on the world under-20 championships in Eugene, Oregon. The two events run back-to-back in the northern hemisphere summer.
"It is (a big decision)," Gout told the Seven Network. "(The Commonwealth Games) is a great event and it's one of those big meetings everyone loves. But looking at it, it is definitely a better decision going for the world under-20s."
However, earlier this month, Gout announced he had suffered a major season-ending injury. The 18-year-old sustained an eight centimetre Grade 3C hamstring tear during a training session in Brisbane, which has ruled him out of competition for the remainder of 2026.
Why is Kaylee McKeown not competing at the Commonwealth Games?
Unlike Gout, Kaylee McKeown was expected to compete at the Commonwealth Games. The Australian swimming star and five-time Olympic champion had once against proved the benchmark at national trials in the backstroke events to book her ticket to Glasgow.
However, two weeks out from competition, McKeown announced on social media that she would not be travelling for the Games, or the Pan Pacific Championships that follow, after suffering a bout of glandular fever.
"I am gutted to medically withdraw," McKeown said in a Swimming Australia statement. "What I thought a few months ago was flu has turned out to be my body fighting glandular fever. "I was sick going into trials and I have just not got better and I am worried about pushing myself so hard that I end up with chronic fatigue. It was a hard decision to make but the right one."
What's Australia's record at the Commonwealth Games?
No nation has won more medals or gold medals than Australia at the Commonwealth Games. Entering Glasgow, Australia has won 1,001 Commonwealth Games gold medals, 832 silvers, and 763 bronzes, for a total of 2,596 medals.
Australia has placed first at 13 out of the 21 previously held Commonwealth Games and finished in the top three in all meets since the first Games in 1930.
The most successful athlete at the Commonwealth Games is Australia's Emma McKeon, who won 14 gold medals across her decorates career. Fellow Australian simmers Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones, and Susie O'Neill are all tied in second spot on 10 gold medals.