In an interview this week to BBC Sport Scotland, Phil Batty, Chief Executive of the organising team for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, assured that the city is ready to offer a “spectacular” event and has already received an “enormously positive” reception from prominent athletes.
Batty, who was Director of Ceremonies, Culture, and the Queen’s Baton Relay during the Birmingham 2022 Games, now leads as Chief Executive the organising team for Glasgow 2026. The city, which already hosted the Games in 2014, took on the challenge of organising this edition after Victoria, Australia, withdrew from assuming such high costs.
To ensure the success of the event, the participation of renowned athletes, such as Olympic medallists Keely Hodgkinson and Duncan Scott, as well as silver medallist Josh Kerr, will be key. According to Batty, the early signs are encouraging and he assures that the organisation has received “a very warm reaction from athletes looking forward to competing.”
Furthermore, he emphasised that Glasgow 2026 represents a magnificent stage within the season. In his opinion, this event is a “great opportunity in the global sports events calendar,” and he stated that “For those athletes considering competing in 2026, we look forward to welcoming you here.”
Batty also highlighted the appeal of this edition, noting that “we have an incredible sports and para-sports programme, and it is a fantastic occasion to showcase their talent.” He explained that the response so far has been “enormously positive” and, as the daily competition schedule and medal programme are established, he hopes to “make more concrete plans about who will be here in 2026 to compete.”
Despite the good signs, Glasgow 2026 will have to face a great challenge: attracting the attention of the best athletes in a calendar that includes other important events, such as the European Championships, scheduled for late July 2026.
The proximity of these dates adds pressure to the team led by Batty, who must work without margin for error, as in six months the milestone of “one year to the event” will be reached. However, Batty expressed total confidence that Glasgow will rise to the occasion and stated he is “sure that the city, the venues, and the volunteers will be ready to deliver a memorable event.”
For Batty, “2026 is definitely a pivotal moment for the Commonwealth sports movement.” Over the years, editions like Birmingham, Gold Coast, and Glasgow itself in 2014 have been successful, but now the movement faces the need to reinvent itself to ensure its survival. With the centenary of the Games just around the corner in 2030, this edition in Glasgow could lay the foundations for a more sustainable model. “People will look at Glasgow 2026 and see what happens here, and Scotland’s contribution to the future of the movement as a truly defining moment in the history of the Commonwealth Games,” Batty said.
If Glasgow had not stepped in, there would be no Commonwealth Games next year. Now, this smaller version could become the model for future editions. Batty is clear that “Glasgow has done a really important job in restructuring the Games for host cities in 2030, 2034, and 2038” and added that “there is no better place in the Commonwealth than Glasgow to do that.”
As part of his long-term vision, Batty, who also has experience in global shows and leads a leading drone light show company, was enthusiastic about the impact this edition will have on the movement. “We have the experience, the venues, and the talent. I am excited about how this will take the Commonwealth sports movement forward. I see a very positive future for the Games.”
Despite being in his new role for only a few days, Batty already has a clear idea of what success will look like in this edition of the Games. He explained that “really successful Games are sold-out venues, amazing sports, world-class cultural programming, and a genuine sense of celebration in the city.”
With that vision in mind, Glasgow 2026 is preparing to offer an unforgettable experience that, according to Batty, will be a “spectacle” worthy of the history and future of the Commonwealth Games movement.
