Victoria was initially appointed to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Australian state was selected after the Commonwealth Games Federation pursued a compact, regional hosting model rather than a single-city event. Victoria’s proposal envisaged competitions spread across Melbourne and regional centres including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland and Shepparton. The plan was intended to share the benefits of the Games beyond the state capital.
Victoria signed a host contract in 2022, but the state government withdrew in July 2023 after projected costs rose sharply. That cancellation left the event without a host and prompted a search for a replacement. Glasgow was eventually chosen in 2024 to stage a much smaller, ten-sport Games.
A common mix-up is to answer Glasgow, because Glasgow became the eventual host. The question asks who was initially appointed, however, and that answer is Victoria—not another Australian state or the city that later stepped in.