After delays and rejection by Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and other nations, the 2026 Commonwealth Games are to be awarded a host in May, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Monday after an Executive Council meeting.
“The Commonwealth Games Federation is pleased to confirm that it is considering multiple proposals to Host the 2026 Games,” a statement said.
“Significant progress has been made and we are excited by the initial ideas, which aim to bring back and reframe the Games.”
No potential hosts have been named, but the CGF said they are working “collaboratively” with the relevant Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) and have mutual agreements “to keep their proposals confidential while this process is ongoing”.
A similar announcement was made last year with a promise to name a host “early in the new year,” but nothing concrete came of it.
Now the CGF has offered any host country £100m (US$126m) to stage the 2026 event at short notice, using proceeds from the penalty levied on Victoria after the Australian state pulled out of the Games last year.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Sports Minister Mustafa Usif has said his nation is ready to step in after successfully hosting the 2023 African Games.
“Actually the president of the Commonwealth Games was in Ghana,” Usif said GHOne TV.
“He has visited our facilities and had a meeting with my good self. I even had the opportunity to attend some of their meetings.
“And their programs, they want an African nation. They said it’s time for Africa to host the Commonwealth Games and Ghana, we have the facilities now.”
Durban in South Africa had been chosen as the first African nation to host the Games in 2022, but was later stripped of that honor when milestones were not paid. This sparked a multi-year downward spiral for CGA that has led to its current predicament.
Birmingham in England had originally targeted hosting in 2026 but agreed to step in earlier and was elected to fill that 2022 gap leading to successful Games. This left no bidders for 2026, despite an exclusive bid made to Hamilton in Canada which was ultimately rejected.
Victoria then emerged and was chosen to host in 2026 unopposed.
But things moved quickly last year when the state’s premier suggested costs were skyrocketing, more than doubling initial estimates of AUD 2.6 billion ($1.76 million) and scrapped plans to go ahead despite a costly cancellation penalty A$380 million (US$244 million).
With little time to spare, CGF explores several options.
“In parallel with this process, the CGF continues to accelerate work on the renewal of the Games, a key commitment of Commonwealth United, our Strategic Plan, 2023-2034, including exploring new innovative concepts and event opportunities and consulting with leaders in the entire global sports landscape.” the statement read.
“Importantly, we have focused on how we can transform the Games into a collaborative and truly sustainable model, minimizing costs and reducing their environmental footprint, while increasing social impact.
“Through this work we aim to create a modern, flexible plan for the future that inspires athletes, excites International Federations and potential Hosts and is in the best interests of the wider Commonwealth Sports Movement.”
The Commonwealth Games hope to celebrate their centenary in 2030, commemorating the inaugural British Empire Games held in Hamilton, Canada. Despite the 2026 allocation difficulties, the CGF said there was interest in a later 2030 edition that would allow more preparation time.