The future of the Commonwealth Games appeared to be in jeopardy after Australia withdrew from hosting the 2026 Games last year due to growing costs. However, a recent report has brought to light that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is offering an investment of USD $130 million to any interested bidder for the 2026 Games, leading the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to show an interest in hosting.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) revealed that discussions have begun between the two organizations regarding the feasibility of staging the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The CGF’s offer to the host city includes a substantial financial injection of USD $130 million to facilitate the local execution and legacy planning of the event.
Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, boasts a successful track record in hosting major sporting events, with the city last hosting the Games in 1998. A CGF spokesperson told the BBC that they “are optimistic” about Malaysia’s potential bid, highlighting the nation’s past success and its commitment to leveraging existing world-class facilities.
The Australian province of Victoria was awarded the 2026 Games in April 2022, but pulled out a year later, when the expected cost of the Games soared to more than $2 billion.
If Kuala Lumpur were to host the Games in the summer of 2026, they would have fewer than 700 days to prepare. The Malaysian capital last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and plans to use many of the same world-class facilities that were built for those Games. Although Malaysia presents itself as a fast and feasible alternative, the CGF says a decision has not been made, and there are still discussions to be had with other potential hosts.
Canada was interested in hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, initially in Hamilton, and then in Alberta, but the bid was dependent on financial support by provincial governments; the bid was cut in August 2023 after provincial governments said the costs of hosting would be too high.
The decision for the 2026 Games now rests with the Malaysian Government. If the CGF does not find a host soon, they have explored alternatives such as postponing the event to 2027 or spreading the event across a few Commonwealth territories.
