Glasgow Commonwealth Games mascot Finnie formally unveiled

A unicorn named Finnie – with a site visitors cone for a horn – has been unveiled because the official mascot for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The character made her first official look on the metropolis’s well-known Finnieston Crane at daybreak to mark twelve months till the beginning of the video games.

She was designed with the assistance of faculty youngsters from Glasgow and replaces Clyde the Thistle who was the mascot for the final Glasgow Games in 2014.

Finnie’s horn is a tackle the well-known site visitors cone positioned on high of the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow metropolis centre.

Glasgow is internet hosting a cut-down model of the Commonwealth Games subsequent 12 months after the Australian state of Victoria backed out for monetary causes.

It will function 10 sports activities going down throughout 4 venues within the metropolis from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

The Finnieston Crane, the place Finnie made her first look, and the Duke of Wellington statue with a site visitors cone on its head are each iconic Glasgow landmarks.

She additionally has a silver flash in her sneakers, in homage to the town’s shipbuilding historical past, star-spangled arms in a nod to the Barrowland Ballroom and a flowing purple mane impressed by the lights that shine on The Hydro venue at evening.

In an announcement launched on her behalf, the mascot stated: “I’ll be at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games next summer with a grin, a wave, maybe even a wee dance.

“I’m right here to show the nerves into pleasure, stir the cheers and assist flip each second into one thing magic as Glasgow 2026 swings into the town.”

Finnie will attend a number of events on Wednesday to mark the one-year countdown to the games, meeting athletes including 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan and Olympic medallist Eilidh Doyle as well as First Minister John Swinney.

Glasgow 2026 chief executive Phil Batty said: “Finnie represents all the pieces Glasgow 2026 is about – enjoyable, friendliness and naturally that little little bit of magic!

“She’ll be at the heart of everything that’s exciting about these Games, from building up the crowd to hyping the athletes.”

Mr Batty advised the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme he anticipated subsequent 12 months’s occasion to be “just as electric as the Games in 2014”.

“The venues we’re using, they’ve had world-class events back then and ever since,” he stated.

“We’re in an eight-mile corridor, there’s still over 200 medal events that will take place over 10 days.

“And Glasgow is aware of the right way to occasion, so that is going to be an epic video games.”