Commonwealth Games 2026: opening ceremony in Glasgow – as it happened

Key events

• 6h ago

  Preamble

Here is Sean Ingle’s verdict on tonight’s big extravaganza.

Further reading:

That being the case, this is it from me. Thanks all for your company; we’ll be back tomorrow, and with us, we’re bringing … sport! But until then, love and peace.

Oh, and in a style not inappropriate for Glasgow, things end abruptly; that’s our lot until tomorrow.

Nathan Evans and the St PHNX Band return, noise increasing, and I think this might be the finale; TNT are showing us the schedule for tomorrow, which is extensive. There’s not much I love more than working-day sport, and it’s back with us, from tomorrow.

I dunno, I think they might’ve shown a bit more imagination in getting in party acts, but there are obviously lots of moving parts to negotiate. Some dancers arrive to up the ante, but we need a fuller sound that can be delivered with a single guitar.

Ha, now it’s into No Scotland, No Party, a bit more like it, then her big hut; she’s doing her best to get it going.

Well, sort of – Leave A Light On isn’t exactly a floor-filler but it does get livelier at the end, I’m not sure I’ve seen her since Glastonbury 2005, when every time I switched on, she was playing Suddenly I See.

World In Union strikes up and I’m back at the 1991 rugby World Cup, then Tom Walker emerges. It’s another slow number, but surely we’re getting a drop of some sort at some point?

He speaks about the “unique and extraordinary family of nations” then moves on to plastic pollution and the desire to protect the oceans, before segueing into warm words for Glasgow. He thanks the city, the athletes, the organiser and the volunteers, hoping for a harmonious and durable future, before declaring the Games open … to a rapturous response.

Meantime, the baton moves around the stage, then the King’s speech is removed from inside it, having been placed there on Commonwealth Day, and now it’s time for that.

This is a moody, downbeat version; I wonder if it’ll kick off at some point.

Those were two very nice speeches, and now we’re charting the passage of the batons, before Nina Nesbitt feat. Madrigirls sing the Scottish classic I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). I wonder what Proclaimers think about their tune becoming a second national anthem; what a feeling that must be.

Next, it’s on to the elements, music on streets, celebrations in parks and celebrations in every neighbourhood, “the energy and spirit that makes this city special … the friendliest Games, in the friendliest city, in the friendliest nation, because that’s who we are.”

The chairman of the Games, George Black. applauds Glasgow for taking them on, praising his city’s confidence for getting together and making things work. “You will see Glasgow deliver, again,” he says.

“Somewhere in this beautiful city, a young person will watch one of you athletes and quietly decide, one day – one day – that will be me.”

Then, to finish, “Compete fiercely, be generous in victory, gracious in defeat, but above all, wear your colours with price and make lifelong friends.” Amen.

He’s glad to be back in Glasgow and gladder to be in Wallace tartan, reimagined in the colours of Uganda, his country. He thanks Glasgow for stepping in as host, celebrating the coming together of nations and stories, sport bringing people together in a world that can seem divided. Every flag is equal, everyone part of something bigger than themselves – “this is what Commonwealth sport is about, not just competition but connection.”

Now it’s speech time, with Dr Donald Rukare, the president of Commonwealth Sport.

The flag is raised, after which comes further marching, then it’s time for the Games oath – all about respect, shared humanity, friendship and diversity.

The Commonwealth Sport flag is carried in by athletes representing the various continents and para-sport, then passed to various armed forces types – not my cup of Irn Bru, if you’re asking – and marching doth ensue.

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie is where we go next, and rightly so; if there’s one thing Glasgow knows how to do, it’s have a party.

The rapper Eve is on next, to a backdrop of those gorgeous old buildings in town, with a message of diversity, “THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBOURS”, written across them as various ethnicities parade. After which it’s time to finish our day at the famous Sub Club – the sound there is meant to be very, very serious

On the screen at the back of the stage, the words “People make Glasgow” – and almost everywhere else, then a singer with whom I’m unfamiliar.

“St Lucia” begins Ger Nugent. “The only country named after a female?”

Cor-rect.

Well that was nice, and now we’ve three tour guides taking us back in time to the early days of the rag trade, then the famous shipyards – which spawned, among others, Alex Ferguson, followed by wind turbines.

Now we’re people-watching under the clock in Glasgow Central train station, a meeting point since the early part of the 20th century, with Nathan Evans and The Saint PHNX playing their hit Home.

Cheers greet its end, and now I’m steaming we’ve no sport to follow immediately. But instead, we’re getting a day in the life of Glesga and we see a mural of Scott McTominay scoring against Denmark with “Choose Scotland” on it; what a life that boy is living, can there be two better places to be a hero than Scotland and Naples?

And that completes the walk-in; now, we’ve the actor Sam Heughan searching Nessie. Surely, shirley, the orchestra razz out this classic.

Er no, but we do get Flower of Scotland, one of the best of its kind.

Cited for filming it, Hoy explains: “I’m still a fan at heart.” Six Olympic golds and this is where his heart is at, enjoying the joy of others; a mensch.

..and enter Scotland! Alex “Tattie“ Marshall, a bowler at his eighth Games, leads them out, and the noise level increases; for this athletes, it’s getting real.

Ah, but it’s Wales first, the hosts left till last…

In come Jersey, then Malta, which leaves us with … Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Next up it’s Gibraltar, then Guernsey, husband and wife bowlers, Ian and Alison Merrien, with the flag. Then Isle of Man, with Alfie Bezance, a para-powerlifter the youngest flag-bearer at 17.

And finally it’s Europe, starting with Cyprus, then England, the flag carried by bowler Sian Honnor with swimmer Luke Greenbank holding the baton. “I can’t explain the pride to know that you’re leading your team out and you’re ready to go into battle,” bravehearts Chris Hoy.

Tonga arrive, then Tuvalu, whose capital Funafuti is one I’ll never forget as it’s one I brought into school when a kid in my year said he’d learnt them all – he had – then Vanoatu complete the continent.

We had to do it…

Now come Samoa, who haka in front of the royal box, and Solomon Islands, whose blend of blue, yellow and green is a delight.

New Zealand are out waving ferns, then Niue, then Norfolk Island – an Australian territory 1600km north-east of Sydney measuring 8km x 5km.

Australia emerge in blazers – it seems impossible they won’t top the medals table – followed by a very chill-looking Cook Islands, their women wearing garlands on their heads, great stuff. Fiji are next, then Kiribati, an archipelago in the central Pacific, and Naoeru, the world’s third-smallest country now known by its indigenous name rather than Nauru.

Trivia time: what is unique about St Lucia? Trinidad & Tobago come next, then Turks & Caicos complete the Caribbean delegation, meaning it’s time for Oceania.

Grenada are followed by Jamaica, then it’s Montserrat, whose black tracky has bright orange and green stripes; I’m interested. Then it’s St Kitts & Nevis – I turned my blood to Ting while working there – then St Lucia, then St Vincent & The Grenadines.

Antigua and Barbuda precede Barbados, mourning the wonderful Garfield Sobers, also in varsity jackets but with lovely blue and yellow. British Virgin Islands are next, then Cayman and Dominca.