Live: Commonwealth Games to be opened by King Charles III

live Commonwealth Games opening ceremony live updates: Glasgow welcomes thousands of sport's biggest names King Charles will officially declare the 2026 Commonwealth Games open during the ceremony from Glasgow's Hydro arena. Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy is Australia's flag-bearer and Paralympic swim star Tim Hodge will carry the King's baton. More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete for 215 gold medals across 10 sports over 10 days. Follow live. Submit a comment or question Live updates Fri 24 Jul 2026 at 4:41am On the cards today: The Opening Ceremony Glitz! Glamour! More flags than you can shake a deep-fried chocolate bar at! That's right, it's Opening Ceremony time! These games will kick of at The Hydro in Glasgow, a stadium that's hosted Beyonce, Taylor Swift and U2. For the first time, athletes from the 74 participating nations will arrive before the main performance starts. Every team will bring their customised Baton to the ceremony, and 'plant' it to form a colourful garden to open the games. Fri 24 Jul 2026 at 4:36am Good morning and welcome! A very early but no less exciting pleasure to welcome you to the ABC's coverage of the 2026 Commonwealth Games sports fans! My name is Peter Marsh and I'll be here with a couple of my wonderful colleagues, including Jon Healy from Glasgow, to bring you full coverage across the games. Before the action begins, we've got an Opening Ceremony for you today. Get cozy, pull out some tartan and settle in folks.