Scotland to host scaled-back Commonwealth Games, partly funded by cancellation fee from Victoria’s failed bid

Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews caused an uproar when he pulled out of hosting the sporting event last July, with the state government criticised for seriously damaging the nation’s international reputation and leaving taxpayers with a whopping $589 million bill.

A desperate race to find a new host appeared to be failing until reports emerged last month that Glasgow was exploring the possibility of stepping in to ensure the games could go ahead.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, which oversees the event, and Commonwealth Games Scotland have since nearly reached an agreement, with Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray apparently confirming on Tuesday local time that a deal had been reached.

“The collaboration has been extremely positive and productive and has resulted in the finalisation of a robust event proposal which will help support a new future for the Commonwealth Games and deliver economic and sporting opportunities for Scotland,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Scottish cabinet.

“In 2026, all eyes will once again be on Glasgow, and I am confident that Scotland’s largest city will provide an ideal platform for some of the world’s best athletes.”

It appears that some organisational details are still being worked out, but all parties believe that Glasgow will now officially take over the hosting duties.

As part of deal negotiations, CGF chairman Chris Jenkins confirmed Commonwealth Games Australia had voluntarily offered nearly $4.5 million in funding to help “enhance the event”.

These funds were further boosted by the CGF, which offered Scottish officials nearly $200 million to ensure the Games would not cost British taxpayers dearly.

The CGA and CGF contributions were taken directly from the cancellation fees paid to the organisations by Victoria after it reneged on its hosting obligations.

However, the total budget for the Glasgow Games is expected to remain lower than previous editions, with the event expected to cost around $222 million.

As a result, organizers are working on staging a scaled-down version of the sporting event, likely involving just ten events across four venues and no dedicated athletes’ village.

The opening and closing ceremonies would also be scaled back under the plan.

The two compulsory sports, athletics and swimming, will take place at Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre, but no confirmation has been given for additional venues.

The start and end dates of the games are also yet to be confirmed.

The last time Glasgow hosted the Games, in 2014, the event had a budget of just over $1 billion and included 17 separate sports.

This edition was highly praised and is even considered by some to be the greatest Commonwealth Games of all time.