2026 Delivered a Joyful, Self-contained Success, But the Commonwealth Games' Long-term Future Remains Clouded by Uncertainty'

Glasgow 2026 delivered a joyful, self-contained success, but the Commonwealth Games' long-term future remains clouded by uncertainty. Scotland's Josh Kerr provided one of the Games' defining moments by winning the mile at Scotstoun Stadium, and the city performed the surgery needed to keep the event alive, drawing thousands of happy fans. Yet this is only the start of the recovery.

Ahmedabad, India, now stands where Victoria did four years ago as the next host, with the 2030 edition marking the Games' 100th anniversary. Victoria pulled out; can Ahmedabad offer certainty it won't? "I don't think one can give any guarantees, Raghu Iyer, chief executive of the Indian Olympic Association, told BBC Sport.

That note of caution showed doubts about the Games' future had not been banished as the 2026 edition closed on Sunday evening. After Victoria withdrew in 2023, Glasgow answered the SOS call, and organisers said the past 11 days in the Scottish city had "exceeded all expectations. from residents who lost parking spaces to taxi drivers and shop owners the Games passed by—but on the ground it felt like a meaningful event.

Ticket sales of 434,000 were well down from Birmingham 2022's 1.5 million, but that was expected given the smaller venues of this scaled-back edition. It was rare to enter a venue without finding a joyful, engaged crowd. Fans enjoyed Josh Kerr's golden homecoming, Angharad Evans making the swimming pool floors shake, and Neil Fachie's emotional victory on his return to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Jamaica's seismic netball win over Australia was also celebrated. Live sport rarely fails to deliver. But a nagging question remained throughout: is anyone else watching?

Big names such as Kerr and Adam Peaty—with his emotional reaction to bronze in the pool—broke out of the Glaswegian bubble, but what else? Organisers said social media views passed Birmingham's within the opening days and highlighted record-breaking television figures in Australia and New Zealand, where the Games were free-to-air. Still, without that same coverage in the UK, these Games at times drifted by.

Glasgow 2026 was also hurt by the absence or late withdrawal of big-name competitors, particularly in athletics, which missed Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith. The Games' differing relevance between sports was again clear—for netball, this remains the pinnacle; for others, it is a stepping stone. Many narratives focused on the "next generation.

Eighteen-year-old Jersey swimmer Filip Nowacki was perhaps the most exciting name to emerge, but gymnasts Ruby Evans (Wales) and Reuben Ward (Scotland) and England track cyclist Henry Hobbs, who won two golds and a bronze, were others. Swimmer Faye Rogers impressively brought her Paralympic success back to Glasgow with gold in the pool, then competed in the non-para event as well. Cyclist Emma Finucane turned her three Olympic medals in Paris into four Commonwealth golds in Glasgow.

All will have their eyes on Los Angeles in 2028. But what does this all mean for the Commonwealth Games' future? A move to October for Ahmedabad will free athletics from a scheduling tussle with the European Championships, though it will extend a gruelling season and give athletes a different decision to make. That the next Games are seen as a step towards India hosting the Olympics and Paralympics—possibly also in Ahmedabad—should help ensure their success.

The main venue will be the 120,000-seater cricket stadium bearing the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Given the issues at Delhi 2010, plenty will be watching with interest. But as the number of sports rises—not beyond 20 as planned for Victoria, but to 17 from Glasgow's 10—so will costs.

They were slashed from £800m here, but the budget for Ahmedabad 2030 is almost double Glasgow's £160m. This version has been billed as a template for the future, but immediately there is change. A financial and logistical circle needs to be squared. The specific sports returning for Ahmedabad will be interesting too.

While the Olympics have recently added skateboarding, surfing and breakdancing, the Commonwealths—with India having a big say—look set to reintroduce cricket, shooting, archery and hockey. Cricket would be another sport for which this event does not represent the biggest prize."