On what date are the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled to open?

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games were scheduled to open on 23 July 2026.

The opening ceremony was planned for The Hydro, the arena now known as the OVO Hydro, in Glasgow. Competition was scheduled to continue through 2 August, giving the Games a concentrated 10-day sporting programme. This was a major change from the original Victoria proposal, which had envisaged a larger event spread across regional venues in the Australian state.

Glasgow’s replacement edition was designed around four venues within an eight-mile corridor. Its programme included ten sports and integrated Para sport events, allowing organisers to use existing facilities and reduce the cost and complexity of delivery.

The date can be confused with 31 July, 2 August or 24 July. Those dates relate to later competition or the closing end of the Games, not the opening day. The date also echoes Glasgow 2014, whose opening ceremony took place on 23 July, though that earlier Games were held 12 years before.