Commonwealth Games 2026 'won't be funded by public purse'

The Commonwealth Games 2026 “won’t be funded by the public purse” if held in Glasgow, an update has revealed.

Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has said it would be a “travesty” to miss out on the opportunity to have the games return to the country.

It comes as event organisers continue to hunt for a new host after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out amid rising costs, which promoted discussions over holding a scaled back version of the event in Glasgow.

The GSC made the proposal in April and has warned that time is running out after Scottish First Minister John Swinney this week stated that no public funds would be available and added that the feasibility of the project was being considered, especially given the short notice.

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village. — The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village. SNS Group

An update from CGS has said that its “innovative, cost-effective and sustainable” proposal would not need any government money to bring the Games back to Glasgow 12 years after it last staged them.

The chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Ian Reid CBE, also revealed over £100m Victorian Government’s money has been offered to secure the future of the games.

The cost of hosting Games has been calculated at approximately £114m, with the number of sports cut to 10, and CGS claims private finance will make up the difference.

The update said: “Unique to this opportunity, the Games will be funded by private income rather than the public purse, with the majority of costs covered by the CGF, using money secured in a compensation negotiation with the Victorian Government following their withdrawal as hosts in July 2023.”

In a statement shared on Friday, Mr Reid said it would be “short-sighted” to turned down such a significant sum of money, which serves to boost the Glasgow and Scottish economies and has been deliberately created not to rely on the public purse at a time of economic uncertainty.

He added that should the government decide not to host the Games the future of high-performance sport in Scotland will be under “serious threat”.

“The Commonwealth Games is the only opportunity for many athletes to compete under the Scottish flag and is a key development stage for our stars on their journey to international success.

“The Scottish high-performance system is largely designed around the Games, being the biggest stage for many of our sports,” Mr Reid said.

The statement warned of the “fast closing” window of opportunity over the decision to host the Games.

“The decision to host the Games has been sitting with the Scottish Government since May, and we have worked tirelessly to address all questions and concerns raised across the past few months.

“However, the window of opportunity is fast closing, and with it, the ability to deliver within the timeline ahead of us hampered by uncertainty and delays.”

Mr Reid added: “It would be a travesty if instead of grabbing the opportunity of over £100m inward investment, we chose to let it go and instead be left needing to find millions elsewhere to fund the essential capital work needed to upgrade public facilities in the coming years, and leave hundreds of Scottish athletes, aspiring and established, without an avenue to compete for Scotland on the international stage.

A Scottish Government Spokesperson said: “The Commonwealth Games is a hugely important event and we support the continuation of a sustainable and successful Commonwealth Movement.

“We continue to take forward discussions with the CGF, Commonwealth Games Scotland and the UK Government on a proposal for Glasgow 2026.

“Scottish Ministers have continued to be clear about the current financial pressures facing the public purse. They have a duty to balance potential benefits with the associated risks and ensure that staging the 2026 Games would be the right thing for Scotland at this time.”