The final countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games is well and truly underway. As the nation prepares to take a step back into the recent past, many of us proud Scots are beginning to recall fond memories of the 2014 event.
Glasgow was buzzing with national pride when ‘Clyde’ the thistle themed mascot was handing out high fives and our brand-new sporting venues became the centre of attention across the globe in what was truly a successful 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games – even the sun made an appearance for the occasion. 
When the Australian state of Victoria took the decision to withdraw from hosting the games in 2023 due to financial struggles, it is no surprise that when Glasgow stepped up to host, it was met with excitement. However, with all of this excitement came plenty of doubt and many questions were raised on whether or not it is possible to host a multi-sport, global event as big as the Commonwealth games at all, let alone with less than three years of notice. 
Firstly, if you are envisioning an exact replica of the event hosted just over a decade ago then you are in for shock. The multi-sport extravaganza has been ‘rebranded’ for this edition featuring a highly ‘scaled-back’ event with many of the beloved Commonwealth Sports removed, as organisers look to cut down costs and logistics in order to get these games off the ground. 3,000 athletes from 74 countries will compete in Athletics, Swimming, Artistic Gymnastics, Track Cycling, Netball, Weightlifting, Boxing, Judo, Bowls, and 3×3 Basketball, with para-sports included in several disciplines. Sports such as badminton, field hockey, diving, mountain biking and several others failed to make the cut. 
The sports are not the only changes made to these games. There have been drastic cuts to almost every aspect of these games. Hampden Park has replaced by Scotstoun Stadium and the athlete’svillage moved to local hotels and student accommodation. The BBC who had been the principal broadcaster of the games since 1954, have been pulled to make way for subscription-based service TNT Sports as Glasgow 2026 will not be available on free-view television. 
Broadcasting has not been the only commercial-fuelled decision made. Key marketing partnerships in Coca-Cola and beer company Jubel have stirred up plenty of discussion on whether or not they were the correct sponsorship deals to make for an event promoting health through sport. 
But possibly the biggest discussion point of all is the current building site that is the centre of Glasgow. George Square which played a massive role in the 2014 Games is currently under construction and it has been confirmed that it will not reopen in time for the summer – begging the question once again, are we really ready for this or have we ‘jumped the gun’.  
On the bright side, not every aspect of these games is negative. Glasgow 2026 will be the largest, most integrated para-sport program in the history of the Commonwealth Games. Glasgow aims to turn the negativity of this rebrand on its head and use this unique opportunity to promote positive change and inclusivity, something we as a nation can be proud of.     
The bottom line is, the future of large-scale multisport events is looking less and less secure with time. This summer’s football world cup is being shared amongst countries and that too has been met with its own criticism. Sports fans everywhere are yearning for the security of the type of event we saw in the early 2010s. The likes of the 2012 London Olympics, the 2010 and the 2014 FIFA World Cups to name a few, took centre stage during this era and Glasgow 2014 sat comfortably, and proudly, within this global sporting boom. However, whether we like it or not we have entered a new era. Is the criticism fuelled by nostalgia justified or should we, as a nation, stop expecting this ‘scaled-back’ version of the games to live up to the incredibly high standard of 2014, and simply give it a chance? 
