Australia’s bid to host 2026 Commonwealth Games crumbles due to political disarray

• Gold Coast has withdrawn its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
• Alberta, Canada, also withdrew its bid to host the 2030 Games.
• The future of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is now uncertain.

Australia’s Gold Coast has been forced to withdraw its bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 due to a lack of government support.

While acknowledging that the idea did not “align” with state and federal administrations, Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate expressed interest in hosting a “stream-lined” Games in Perth, the state capital of Western Australia.

“We did our best and that’s all people can expect,” Tate said in a statement.

“Our dual proposal with Perth would have saved Australia’s tarnished reputation, delivered billions into the national economy and given athletes, and para-athletes, a clear pathway towards other international competitions including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics and then on to the 2032 Games in Queensland.”

The 2018 Games were successfully held on the Gold Coast in the past.

Citing a projected financial blowout, the southern Australian state of Victoria withdrew from hosting the 2026 event in July.

The province of Alberta in Canada has also withdrew its support for a bid to host the 2030 Games, leaving the future of the Games more generally uncertain.

In September, Australia’s Craig Phillips, the leader of the Commonwealth Games, said that the 2026 Games might be postponed by a year to give another Australian host an opportunity.

On Monday, though, he stated that their chances of ending up outside of Australia were higher.

“The people we spoke to in the Commonwealth Games family, I believe that the sentiment is very much still that the first priority is there is a solution here in Australia,” he told the Australian media.

“But if that doesn’t materialise, then other options are certainly very much on the table.”

Australia has hosted five of the last 22 editions of the Games, making it by far the most successful competing nation.

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