For the second time in 12 years Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games after Australia’s Victoria state pulled out because of increased costs. Victoria’s withdrawal raised questions about whether the 2026 games would go ahead before Glasgow agreed to step in.

Staging a sporting mega-event is expensive and governments face increasing scrutiny over public spending. Victoria’s decision raised wider questions about affordability for potential hosts. At the same time, critics question the Games’ political relevance, given its origins in Britain’s colonial past.

The Commonwealth Games Federation says the event can be delivered in a more sustainable way and argues that it brings cultural and economic benefits to host cities, but recent editions have run into significant costs and budget pressures.

Our contributors this week are Dr Stuart Whigham, senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University, UK; Dr Matthew McDowell, lecturer in sport policy, management, and international development at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Dr Verity Postlethwaite, lecturer in strategic event management at Loughborough University, UK and Professor Gayle McPherson, associate dean for research at the University of the West of Scotland, and director of legacy and community engagement for Commonwealth Games Scotland, UK.

Presenter: Tanya Beckett

(Photo: 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)