In 2023, Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games! A new host is yet to be announced.
The XXIII (23rd) Commonwealth Games will NOT be held in 2026 in regional Victoria.
This will be the sixth Commonwealth Games to be hosted in Australia, and Melbourne will become the third city to host the Games twice, though most events will be held in regional Victoria and not the state capital Melbourne. Events will be held in Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland - though mostly in cities of Geelong and Bendigo.
The event will run from March 17-29, 2026. The opening ceremony will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the closing ceremony at Kardinia Park in Geelong.
Sports: Golf, coastal rowing, shooting and BMX racing have been added, with golf and BMX making Commonwealth Games debuts. See more about 2026 Sports.
Venues: The sports are spread around five major regional centres in Victoria, Australia. See more about 2026 venues.
Trivia
- Two new countries which joined the Commonwealth in 2022 are expected to make their debut in 2026, Gabon and Togo.
- The 1994 Commonwealth Games were also held in Victoria, though it was the city in Canada, not the state in Australia.
- The two other cities to have hosted Commonwealth Games more than once are Auckland (1950, 1990) and Edinburgh (1970, 1986).
- The 2026 Commonwealth Games is the first not to be hosted in a single city. Events will be spread about regional hubs in the state of Victoria, Australia.
- The Victorian regional city of Bendigo previously hosted the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games.
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