Max SteventonThe legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has played a significant part in the delivery of this summer’s Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, according to organisers.
Glasgow’s existing venues, experienced workforce and previously established partnerships have enabled preparations for this year’s Commonwealth Game to progress at pace despite a reduced budget, according to Glasgow 2026 CMO Louisa Mahon.
Glasgow 2026 will take place from 23 July to 2 August and is set to be the UK’s largest multi-sport event of the year. Around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories are expected to compete across the city. The Games are being delivered by the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, established following a proposal by Commonwealth Games Scotland to governing body Commonwealth Sport, with event delivery support from Trivandi.
Mahon said Glasgow had benefited from maintaining venues developed for the 2014 Games while retaining the expertise needed to stage major international sporting events. She also highlighted collaboration between local authorities, businesses and hospitality partners, including a model that will see athletes accommodated in hotel hubs integrated within local neighbourhoods.
The reduced budget and shorter planning period came after the event was moved from the Australian state Victoria to Glasgow at short notice, following Victoria’s decision to withdraw as host due to rising costs.
Her comments come as organisers position Glasgow 2026 as a more compact and cost-conscious edition of the Commonwealth Games, making greater use of existing infrastructure rather than extensive new construction.
Trivandi chairman and co-founder Paul May said, “During the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the city came to life – to a large extent because of the people – and there’s another opportunity to do that here. This is a brilliant city to be able to host major events, it has a great character, culture, personality. Through the work we’re doing together, we can enable and create a platform for that, which is going to create a brilliant experience for everybody.
“What we’re doing here is very compact, very authentic within a city environment, and it will create a model which will inform future events. I think the India Commonwealth Games in 2030 will learn a lot from this – it’s a bridge to future Games, and the wider industry will look in too. I hope we’ll be talking about Glasgow 2026 in the same way we talk about Glasgow 2014.”