The 2026 Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow on Thursday in a significantly reduced format, after original hosts Victoria, Australia, withdrew in 2023 citing spiralling costs. Glasgow, which previously staged a successful Games in 2014, stepped in with limited preparation time, resulting in a smaller event that organisers argue could serve as a sustainable template for the competition's future rather than signal its decline.

The number of sports has fallen to 10, down from 20 at Birmingham 2022 and 18 in Glasgow 2014, with around 2,000 fewer athletes expected and no new venues built, including athletics moving from the 46,000-seat Hampden Park to the 10,000-capacity Scotstoun Stadium. Costs have been slashed to £160m, compared with £700m-£800m for Birmingham 2022 and the 2018 Gold Coast Games. Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir insists the organisation has "reset and reimagined" the event, pointing to Ahmedabad, India, already confirmed as 2030 host with an expanded 15-18 sports, plus interest from New Zealand and Nigeria for 2034. However, the Games have also been affected by notable absentees, including injured athletes such as Max Whitlock and Kaylee McKeown, and stars like Keely Hodgkinson who are prioritising other events such as the European Athletics Championships.