2026 Commonwealth Games venues revealed

The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) has been chosen as one of four venues to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The huge event campus by the River Clyde, which sits within GRID, will be the location for the bowls and para bowls competition in two years' time. 

The venue’s inclusion was announced as the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) officially confirmed Glasgow as the host city of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

The three other venues are Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre and the Emirates Arena - including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. 

Successful

The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will take place in Scotland from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026, returning to the city 12 years after the hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games.  

More than 500,000 tickets will be made available for spectators, and around 3,000 athletes from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories are expected to compete, with six fully integrated para-competitions included. 

The Commonwealth Games Federation announced the full programme which involves fewer sports than in recent events. The sports are: athletics and para-athletics (track & field), swimming and para swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and para track cycling, netball, weightlifting and para powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and para bowls, and 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball. 

Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) saved the Games from extinction last month by securing £100 million funding through private income and approval from the Scottish and UK governments. Their innovative plan to hold the event in Glasgow involved scaling back the sporting programme. 

The Glasgow 2026 Games will deliver over £100 million of inward investment into the city and is projected to support over £150 million of economic value added for the region, with a model that has been specially designed to not require public funding for the delivery of the Games.  

An additional multi-million-pound investment has also been secured for upgrading public sporting facilities, alongside funding for city activation projects across the city.  

As a partnership, GRID is working with residential and business communities to promote and generate awareness of the activities linked to assets within the Innovation District, whether commercial, cultural or sporting.

Dr Susie Mitchell, GRID Programme Manager, said: “The Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow illustrates what a vibrant and world-beating city we have. 

“Glasgow and the SEC have proven many times that they have the expertise and infrastructure to host major international events and we look forward to this new sustainable iteration of the Games being played out on our doorstep. 

“This time around, we look forward to the new Govan-Partick Bridge enabling communities to have greater access to sporting and cultural experiences as part of Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.”