THE Commonwealth Games will return to Glasgow in 2026 after the planned hosts backed out. 

The state of Victoria in Australia was set to host the international sporting event but pulled out citing a rise in estimated costs. 

The Scottish Government has backed a deal for a "scaled down version" of the games to take place in Glasgow with a "multi million pound" investment from Victoria. 

The city last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the upcoming event is set to look a little different this time around. 

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Here is everything we know so far...

 

How many sports will there be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games? 

In 2014 there were 18 sports but due to a lack of time and funding, some sports will be dropped. 

It is understood there will be just 10 sports this time around. 

 

What sports will there be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games? 

It is understood all the events at this Games will take place in Glasgow.

There will be athletics, swimming and cycling events at various locations across the city. 

However, it is understood there will be no marathon and no road cycling due to the cost involved with shutting off streets. 

There will also be no mountain biking or shooting events this time. 

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How long will the 2026 Commonwealth Games last? 

When the Commonwealth Games came to Glasgow in 2014, the events for 18 sports were spread over 10 days. 

It is not known yet how long the Games will last, but with almost half the number of sports expected to take place it is likely it would last from five days to a week. 

 

Where will the 2026 Commonwealth Games take place in Glasgow? 

It is believed the Games will take place across four locations in Glasgow. 

These will be Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Scotstoun Leisure Centre, The Emirates Arena and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. 

It is not clear if the velodrome and Emirates Arena are being counted as one location and there could be another as yet unnamed location used. 

When the Games came to Glasgow in 2014, events took place in several other locations across the city including Glasgow Green, Ibrox, SECC, the Hydro and Hampden Park.

Meanwhile some events took place outside the city with mountain biking being held in the Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails, the triathlon in Strathclyde Country Park in Motherwell, diving at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh and shooting at Barry Buddon Shooting Centre in Barry. 

It is understood there won't be any events held outside of Glasgow in 2026. 

 

Where will athletes stay at the 2026 Commonwealth Games? 

In 2014, an Athlete's Village was built in Dalmarnock which housed athletes and team officials. 

It also had a retail zone, dining hall, medical facilities, gym, religious centre and recreational spaces. 

It is understood there will not be a purpose-built Athlete's Village in 2026 and it is expected athletes and officials will stay in hotels around the city, as people attending COP26 and the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships did. 

 

Will there be an opening ceremony for the 2026 Commonwealth Games? 

It is not known if there will be an opening ceremony but any event that does take place is likely to be a hugely scaled-back version of 2014's ceremony. 

The event was held at Celtic Park on July 23 with celebrities such as Karen Dunbar, John Barrowman, Amy MacDonald, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle and Ewan McGregor performing and participating in the ceremony. 

A Red Arrows flypast over the stadium and city was one of the event highlights.

The late Queen also attended and there were even dancers dressed up as Tunnock's tea cakes. 

Scotstoun will be the principal stadium and any opening event is likely to be held there