Almost exactly one year ago, the 2022 Commonwealth Games came to an end in Birmingham, England. By all accounts, they were a tremendous success and Birmingham was an exceptional host. Birmingham's triumph is made even more spectacular when you consider it wasn't even the original host. It stepped in as a replacement in 2017 when the original host--Durban, South Africa--was stripped of the Games due to financial issues.
The next edition of the Commonwealth Games was originally set for 2026 in the Australian State of Victoria. However, Victoria withdrew as host a few weeks ago, leaving the Commonwealth Games Federation in quite a bind. Such a bind that, because of the short notice for whoever agrees to be the replacement host, they're considering delaying the event until 2027.
Having a second straight edition in Birmingham was floated as a possibility, but it seems the enthusiasm for that has cooled. The Mayor of London said he was "ready" to support a bid, and there's a chance that Scotland might be willing to hold at least some of the events. But, regardless of where they end up, Australia's late withdrawal will give the replacement host less than three years to prepare (assuming the Games aren't delayed until 2027). And who knows how long it'll take to find a new host city?!
They're also having issues finding a host for 2030, which will mark the centennial of the Commonwealth Games. Edmonton and Calgary were originally exploring a joint bid, but the Government of Alberta cancelled the bid last week. That would seemingly leave Hamilton, Ontario, which hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Games in 1930, to do the honors again a century later. However, Commonwealth Sport Canada had previously announced in February that Hamilton is no longer Canada's "preferred candidate" for 2030. So, much like the 2030 Olympics, the host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is very much a mystery.
That's three Commonwealth Games in a row where finding a host has been a problem. Two saw the Games awarded, only to have that host withdrawn, either voluntarily (2026) or not (2022). They obviously have to figure out 2026 before they can worry about 2030, but it sure looks like they'll have the same problem there. And likely in 2034 and beyond, too.
If you thought the Olympics had a problem finding host cities, what's happening with the Commonwealth Games is proof that those issues aren't exclusive to the Olympic Movement. And the issue is the same. Money. Hosting these things are expensive and it's hard to justify the investment, especially when the initial cost projections prove to be way off. The Olympics at least have billions of dollars in TV revenue from around the world to soften the blow. The Commonwealth Games don't. Which makes their problem slightly bigger.
With the cost involved and the size of some of the participating nations, it shouldn't really come as a surprise that it often comes down to Australia, England, Scotland and Canada taking turns as host of the Commonwealth Games. In the six editions of the Commonwealth Games since 2002, England and Australia have both hosted twice, while the 2014 Games were in Glasgow. Australia last hosted in 2018, so it would've been just eight years between hosting turns. Should England be chosen as the replacement host, they'll do the honors back-to-back. You can't ask the same countries to simply rotate hosting duties. Especially since they'd also like to host other major international events...which also require a significant financial investment.
Events like the Olympics. The Australian Olympic Committee has made it very clear that Victoria's decision to back out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games has no impact on Brisbane's preparations for the 2032 Olympics. Everything is still on track for Brisbane, which is in a different province (Queensland) and will actually be using a lot of the venues and infrastructure from the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the neighboring Gold Coast. In fact, if anything, it's because Brisbane is hosting the Olympics that they feel they can't afford to host both.
So, it really is an interesting predicament. The cost of hosting the Commonwealth Games is too restrictive for many of the Commonwealth nations to even consider it. But it's unfair to continually ask the same handful of larger countries to take on the hosting responsibilities. And, now they're balking at the cost, too. Which really limits the options.
As a result, the Commonwealth Games are at a crossroads. They're nearly a century old and an important event on the sporting calendar of the participating teams. Some of these British territories don't have their own Olympic Committees, so for their athletes, the Commonwealth Games are their only chance to represent that flag. Likewise, for athletes in some Commonwealth sports that aren't part of the Olympics, it's THE major international stage.
It's also not a coincidence that the Commonwealth Games are held in the even year between Olympics. The Winter Olympics and World Cup are in the same year, but the three never conflict. And World Championships in summer sports are typically held in odd years, meaning the Commonwealth Games are the biggest event for those athletes that year. Last year, in fact, some athletes in swimming and track & field opted for the Commonwealth Games over the rescheduled World Championships. The Commonwealth Games are THAT important.
Simply put, this nothing more than a bump in the road. The Commonwealth Games are too big and too important and have been around for too long for somebody to not step up and host (even if it's reluctantly). But it's an alarming trend nonetheless. Because they can't keep getting put in this same position where they're looking for a host to bail them out at the last minute.
I've seen some gloom and doom predictions about the future of the Commonwealth Games over the past few weeks, but to say that the Commonwealth Games themselves are in any sort of danger as a result of these recent snags would be a stretch. What they need is a better model. Something that will keep costs down and make the prospect of bidding and eventually hosting much more attractive. It would also, just as importantly, potentially get more countries interested in hosting.
While this is obviously a setback, I have very little doubt that there will be a Commonwealth Games in either 2026 or 2027. Where those Games will be is a very different question, but I'm confident they'll figure it out. And I'll bet that last-minute host ends up doing as great a job as Birmingham did in 2022.
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