‘People are looking at Scotland for good fun’: Glasgow prepares for Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth Games 2026

“A lot of people aren’t fully aware it’s happening,” says one man engaged on a stall promoting Commonwealth Games merchandise in Glasgow metropolis centre on Wednesday, a day earlier than the competitors begins.

“It’s been slow – the first two days we didn’t really sell anything but it’s picking up now.”

The lacklustre gross sales of T-shirts, baseball caps and miniature mascots to this point are maybe indicative of a wider lack of fanfare over 2026’s pared-back providing.

Glasgow got here to the rescue and provided to host the video games when the Australian state of Victoria pulled out at quick discover, citing rising prices. Without town’s provide, there can be no video games in any respect.

Glaswegians on the entire have good issues to say about internet hosting as soon as once more. Fond recollections of the heady success of 2014 haven’t light, even amongst individuals who have been barely sufficiently old to recollect.

“I came through last time when I was about nine,” says Joshua Lamb, a regulation pupil on the University of Glasgow initially from Livingston. “I watched the swimming and it was great fun.”

The 21-year-old added: “It’s nice when the city gets busy. Edinburgh gets all the credit normally, but it’s great here with the weather, it’s a nice vibe. After the World Cup, people are looking at Scotland for good fun.”

After a dramatic hearth introduced a sizeable chunk of the busiest a part of Glasgow – together with Glasgow Central station – to a standstill, town has labored onerous to reopen and lay on a model of the video games that shall be successful.

It is by design a stripped-back affair. There are fewer occasions and fewer tickets accessible. Only 10 of the 17 sports activities from 2014 are being staged on this competitors, and half one million tickets being bought, in contrast with 1.5m when Glasgow final held the occasion.

The funds is lower than a 3rd of earlier video games, at £150m, in contrast with £550m in 2014, funded by means of the Commonwealth Games Federation and relationships with business companions.

Some of the funding has additionally come from compensation paid by Victoria after it pulled out, having already spent A$589m (£300m), in line with an official report in 2024.

Glasgow’s rescue of the 2026 video games, which got here after Birmingham stepped in 4 years in the past when the South African metropolis of Durban pulled out, places into focus the problem many cities have find cash to cowl the prices, which normally contain new venues and transport infrastructure.

“It’s good for the economy,” says Callan Cuddihy, a scaffolder who desires to observe the boxing. “I know it’s happening but just not exactly when.”

His buddy, Bobby Monteith, agreed. “There’s not much advertising compared to last time.”

They are dissatisfied to listen to they should pay to observe it on TV if they don’t get tickets. While the opening ceremony on Thursday night and a number of the highlights shall be proven on Channel 5, for the primary time since 1954 the BBC won’t be displaying any of the occasions, with the rights as an alternative going to Warner Bros Discovery.

“It shouldn’t be a subscription,” says Monteith. “If it’s for the people they should put it on TV.”

Despite that, a day earlier than the official begin of the video games, the vast majority of the occasions will not be bought out.

“If we hadn’t come here, we wouldn’t have known it was on,” says Elisha Massiah, on a visit from Streatham in south London for a marriage, along with her companion Nathan and daughters Iman, 9, and Nailah-Rose, 6.

Though Iman is nice at athletics and Nailah-Rose is “the fastest girl two years in a row” in school, it was not on their radar till they arrived and noticed a bagpiper and highland dancers welcoming the groups from the world over to town.

For Carolanne Connal, a theatre nurse in north Lanarkshire who’s on her solution to a Palestine demo, it’s the colonial origins of the video games holding her again.

Though there are 74 member nations competing, lots of them are unable to speculate a lot of their athletes. She says: “Do they get a fair shot?”

Criticisms are sometimes made from the worth of the Commonwealth Games, traditionally referred to as the British Empire Games, which has been racing to modernise and shed the colonial connotations to draw youthful audiences.

In Candleriggs, in central Glasgow, nationwide flags are flying alongside black mourning ribbons of the 28 Commonwealth international locations the place same-sex relationships are nonetheless criminalised.

The exhibition, laid on by Glasgow 2026, is a part of quite a few initiatives which the chief government, Phil Batty, mentioned “remind us that while we celebrate our differences, we should never accept inequality or injustice”.

He added: “Glasgow is a city that has never been afraid to stand up and speak out. It is a city that campaigns for equality and believes everyone deserves to live openly, safely and with dignity.”

But regardless of criticisms, athletes proceed to talk of the significance of the video games.

Two England swimmers, Gabrielle Idle-Beavers and Evie Lambert, suppose that amongst athletes, the Commonwealth Games nonetheless carries quite a lot of significance within the calendar. Both 18-year-olds are making their debuts in main grownup competitions.

“So many people do want to take part,” says Lambert, a para-athlete. Her teammate provides: “Obviously the Olympics are the goal, but it’s personal preference too, the dynamics are different.”

The overwhelming feeling in Glasgow is of optimism and positivity concerning the video games. Even those that attempt to be grumpy about it don’t fairly appear to handle it.

“Well I know which places to avoid,” says one older girl, concerning the crowds coming to town. Then a smile spreads throughout her face. “That’s a lie, because the last time I thoroughly enjoyed it.”