King and Queen to officially open Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

The King and Queen will attend the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to officially open the event later this month, organisers have announced.

Six-time, Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy will also take part in the ceremony at The Hydro in Glasgow on July 23 as the Games return to the city 12 years after they were last held there.

During the ceremony, Charles will read aloud the message he placed into the King’s Baton at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day, March 10 last year, when he launched the baton relay with Sir Chris Hoy as its first baton bearer.

The King’s reading of the message will mark the moment that the Games are officially declared open.

Sir Chris Hoy, a two-time Commonwealth champion, said: “It is an absolute honour to attend the opening of Glasgow 2026 with Their Majesties, the King and Queen.

“A home Games is always a special occasion and I have so many wonderful memories from competing in the Commonwealth Games, myself.

“I have no doubt the city of Glasgow will yet again be a superb host to what promises to be an exciting event and I very much look forward to being a part of it. The countdown is on.”

During the course of the relay, the baton has visited all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories across 500 days.

Each of the 74 has crafted and decorated its own baton to reflect its culture and identity and these will all be united in Glasgow for the first time.

The Scotland Baton, handmade in the city from sustainably sourced ash, will be presented to Charles.

George Black, chairman of Glasgow 2026, said: “Welcoming Their Majesties, the King and Queen, to The Hydro is a proud moment for everyone building the opening ceremony.

“We set out to make something bold, unmistakably Glasgow and unlike anything the Commonwealth Games has produced before – and to have Their Majesties there to see it come to life makes it all the more special.”

Alongside the baton’s journey, the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Plastics Campaign, run in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society, has been taking place.

The campaign has brought communities together for coastal clean-ups and awareness events across the Commonwealth in support of its goal to keep one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waters.

Dr Donald Rukare, president of Commonwealth Sport, said: “We are honoured that Their Majesties, the King and Queen, will join athletes, fans, delegations and communities from across the Commonwealth for the opening ceremony of Glasgow 2026.

“As the first Commonwealth Games of His Majesty’s reign, and the culmination of the first King’s Baton Relay, it will be a special occasion for everyone involved in the Commonwealth Games.

“Glasgow 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Commonwealth Sport Movement.

“As athletes from 74 nations and territories come together, the opening ceremony will set the tone for a Games that celebrates world-class sport, friendship and the unique ability of the Commonwealth Games to bring people together.”

The 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games will take place from July 23 to August 2.

More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete across 10 sports and six Para sports at the event.