Melbourne Australia Eyed as Commonwealth games host

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Commonwealth games federation has been struggling to attract interest for hosting 2026 event.

Preliminary studies underway to determine Melbourne’s suitability

City has made no commitment at this stage

Melbourne looks likely to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the Victorian government confirming an approach from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

The Australian city has begun feasibility studies to determine if it can justify hosting the event.

The CGF has been searching for a host to fill the 2026 slot after the UK city of Birmingham, originally scheduled for that year, filled the 2022 void left by Durban. The South African city was stripped of hosting rights due to financial constraints.

However, the CGF has failed to receive any firm interest for hosting the 2026 Games. The organisation had already taken the decision in October to make athletics and swimming the only compulsory sports at the 2026 and 2030 Commonwealth Games to ensure greater flexibility for potential hosts.

Commonwealth Games compulsory sports cut to two in effort to give hosts more flexibility

A senior Victorian government official told The Sydney Morning Herald that the state was “looking at a 2026 Games� but added it had “made no commitment� at this stage.

Considering the tight turnaround, Melbourne appears a logical choice, given its pre-existing sporting infrastructure and hosting experience, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Additionally, given the lack of interest to host, Melbourne has a strong negotiating hand, meaning it could keep costs down, including by housing athletes in existing hotels rather than building specific accommodation.

With Brisbane confirmed as host of the 2032 Olympic Games, a 2026 Commonwealth Games in Australia would also serve as an ideal precursor, ensuring support from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).

Several Australian cities, including Adelaide, Perth and Sydney, had been linked with bids for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, though various concerns involving Coivd-19 and infrastructure ruled them out of contention.

As a country, Australia last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018 on the Gold Coast, Queensland