The Australian state of Victoria said on Tuesday that it will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with all sporting events taking place outside the state capital Melbourne and scattered across several towns.
The state’s premier Daniel Andrews praised the Commonwealth Games Federation for embracing Victoria’s pitch, admitting that its model is “a bit riskier than just running it in the middle of a large city”.
The 2026 Games will be held in four regional hubs across the state in the towns of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland, each with its own athletes’ village.
The Commonwealth Games Federation’s president Louise Martin described Victoria’s pitch as “a bold and innovative vision” for the multisport event, which takes place every four years.
“In Victoria we believe we have found the perfect partner for the next stage of our journey,” she said.
The state has confirmed 16 sports for the Games so far.
Geelong will host aquatics, gymnastics, triathlon, hockey, beach volleyball and table tennis, while Ballarat will be home to athletics and boxing.
Netball, weightlifting, squash and lawn bowls will be played in Bendigo, with badminton and rugby sevens centred in Gippsland.
Cycling will be between Gippsland and Bendigo, and Twenty20 cricket played across all four hubs.
The opening ceremony will be held at Australia’s largest sports stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which can hold more than 100,000 spectators.
The Australian Olympic Committee’s chief executive Matt Carroll noted that more than “30 major global sporting events are coming to Australia across the next 10 years”.
