Commonwealth Games: 2026 event in limbo as Gold Coast scraps bid

Tuesday 05 December 2023

The Gold Coast has withdrawn its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the city's mayor has said.

It leaves a huge cloud over the Games, with no other firm bid on the table for either the 2026 or 2030 events.

Guernsey celebrated success at the last Commonwealths, held in Birmingham in 2022, when Alastair Chalmers and Lucy Beere picked up medals.

But the future of what is a key target for the island’s elite athletes was left up in the air when the Australian state of Victoria announced in July that it was pulling out as host over rising costs.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate then said it could step in, but he failed to find the support needed.

In a statement, he said: "We did our best and that's all people can expect.

"In simple terms, it seems our Games' vision doesn't align with the vision of the state or federal governments."

Victoria claimed the cost of the event was breaching initial estimates by around five billion Australian dollars (£2.6 billion).

Then state premier Daniel Andrews told media in Melbourne at the time he was not prepared to spend up to seven billion dollars (£3.6billion) on a "12-day sporting event".

The state ultimately agreed to pay £190 million to the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships and Commonwealth Games Australia for its decision.

The Canadian province of Alberta withdrew its bid to host the 2030 Games weeks after Victoria’s announcement, again citing costs.

Only days ago, Australia’s richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, had proposed a two-city bid with the Gold Coast and Perth in a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which was also signed by Tate and Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas.

In November the Commonwealth Games Federation said that it would provide greater clarity on finding a 2026 host early in 2024.