THE Commonwealth Games needs to adapt if it is going to last, experts have said – after a new poll showed that one-third of Scots think the event should come to an end.
The Sunday National asked Scots for their views on the future of the games after Glasgow was confirmed as the host of the 2026 iteration, taking over from the Australian state of Victoria which pulled out due to spiralling costs.
That followed Birmingham stepping up in 2022 after Canada’s Edmonton pulled its bid and South Africa’s Durban failed to meet financial obligations.
Further, the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will mark the event’s 100-year anniversary, are currently without a host after Alberta pulled its bid in August 2023.
It found that around one-third of people (31%) think the Glasgow event should mark the end of the Commonwealth Games, while a plurality (42%) want to see it continue.
With the 26% of people who said they do not know removed, 58% of Scots said they want to see the Commonwealth Games continue into and beyond its 100th year, while 42% said it should end in 2026.
But questions of who will play host – and who will pay – remain.
Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said that the Labour leader wanted to see “a successful Commonwealth Games from 2030” and would use a Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Samoa to canvas for a host.
Since its inception in 1930 when it was the “British Empire Games”, the event has been held in the UK, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand on every occasion bar three; Jamaica, Malaysia, and India have each hosted the games once.
Dr Grant Jarvie, the chair of sport at the University of Edinburgh, said that pattern was not unique to the Commonwealth Games.
“There's still to be an Olympics held in the continent of Africa, for example,” he said, highlighting that this is for a number of reasons including colonial history, “but primarily cost”.
Jarvie went on: “That remains a challenge, and the options there are slimming down … co-hosting between different cities, between different countries and sharing the costs, and different ways of funding – the French Olympics, for example, were nearly all funded out of the private purse.”
Dr Joe Piggin, a senior lecturer in sport management and policy at Loughborough University, also suggested that by “slimming it down, making it a bit leaner, a bit more manageable”, the Commonwealth Games could also diversify hosts and become more cost-effective.
Before it pulled out of the 2026 event, Victoria’s government said the cost of hosting was “certain to exceed $6 billion [£3bn]”. The Glasgow event is projected to cost around £150 million.
Scotland on the world stage
DR Jarvie, who was on Sports Scotland's board at the time of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, said the significance of the games for Scotland “should not be underestimated”.
“It's one of the major international events where Scotland’s athletes can compete as Scottish athletes,” he said, drawing attention to the cultural impacts and “soft power” this can generate for the country.
In an article for the Sunday National, Dr Jarvie argued that this should be taken more seriously by the SNP Government – who should consider sport to be in the culture and external affairs brief rather than health.
“It really does actually mean something,” Dr Piggin said. “There is something very, very significant in terms of what it means for folks’ national identity.”
However, the Loughborough University expert warned that host cities had to be careful not to “overpromise”.
“[The Olympics in] London 2012, they had this legacy promise to ‘inspire participation’. That didn't happen – and other events have promised these big legacies, [but] they don't always manifest in reality,” he said.
He pointed to the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico as a way of sharing both costs and benefits.
“They're sharing the cost, making it a bit more cost-efficient,” he said. “I think it's probably a good thing to move with the times, to consider whether we can be more nimble or feasible rather than hosting it all in one location.
“I guess with that, you do lose the centralisation, that host city vibe, but I do think if it is going to survive and continue, it needs to adapt, doesn't it?
“I think a smaller, pared-down version of the event, that's the first step.”
Dr Jarvie also pointed to the World Cup, as the 2030 competition will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
He said the planned events showed there was “certainly” space for shared hosting platforms moving forward – which may be one way for the Commonwealth Games to adapt.
Find Out Now surveyed 1774 Scottish adults aged 18+ between December 17 and 24. The question asked was: “Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the original host (the Australian state of Victoria) pulled out due to rising costs. In your opinion, should the Commonwealth Games continue after 2026 or come to an end?”
