An independent report has found the 11-day Glasgow Commonwealth Games generated £223 million (A$426 million) in economic activity across Scotland, on a budget of about £162 million.
About three-quarters of that budget, £118 million ($225 million), came from the $380 million settlement Victoria agreed to pay after withdrawing as host in July 2023.
The headline figure measures total spending linked to the Games, not profit.
The report, released on Nov. 2, put the value added to Scotland’s economy at a lower £117.3 million (about $223 million).
Organisers had promised to deliver the sporting competition without public funding. The report found that Scottish taxpayers contributed just 1 percent of the costs associated with site activities and security, with the competition itself funded through other sources.
However, Glasgow’s ability to stage the 2026 Games without public funding did not mean the city had avoided the cost of building sporting infrastructure.
Its organising chief executive said the event was possible because of the substantial public investment made for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which left the city with facilities that could be used again.
He described that earlier spending as a down payment on the infrastructure needed to host the event a second time.
A ‘Baffling’ Decision: Academic
Hunter Fujak, a senior lecturer in sport management at Deakin University, said the regional model drove up Victoria’s costs.
“The most baffling decision that was made in the whole process was [that] it was consciously decided to host it in the regions,” he said in comments obtained by AAP
“If you decide to decentralise a major event and host it in lots of local regional communities, that is always going to be more expensive because these areas don’t have the infrastructure that Melbourne does.”
He said there “probably was a path to salvaging Victoria and Australia’s sporting reputation by bringing it back to Melbourne and streamlining the costs.”
Victoria’s Auditor-General found in 2024 that the government’s business case did not analyse cheaper options, including holding some events in Melbourne.
The audit put the cost of bidding for, planning and leaving the Games at more than $589 million, and said the government’s $6.9 billion cost estimate was overstated, with a fairer figure being about $5.9 billion.
Commonwealth Games Australia Applauds Scotland’s Hosting Effort
Commonwealth Games Australia praised Scotland’s handling of the Games while criticising Victoria’s decision to withdraw from hosting the event.
“The economic results we’ve seen through Glasgow 2026 are a testament to the Organising Company and Commonwealth Games Scotland,” Commonwealth Games Australia chief Craig Phillips said.
“They had a clear plan to reimagine the Games, to lean into existing infrastructure and to deliver an experience that celebrated the athletes and nations of the Commonwealth.
“A cost-ineffective Games only happens when the host is ineffective in designing and delivering a solution that capitalises on their strengths, including people and venues.”
Phillips added that several capital cities across Australia were equipped with the infrastructure and accommodation needed to deliver a scaled-down Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow used existing venues to stage 10 sports, including six Para sports, compared with Victoria’s original plan for 20 sports and new athletes’ villages in regional cities.
Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir said “Glasgow’s circumstances were distinctive.”
AAP contributed to this article.
