Glasgow 2026, the biggest sporting event in the UK next year, has today revealed the official Session Schedule for the Commonwealth Games, setting the stage for 10 unforgettable days of world-class sport, landmark moments and packed venues across the city.
Running from 23 July to 2 August, the Games will bring together 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories to compete across 10 sports and six Para sports, with more than 200 medals to be won in 50 medal sessions.
Events will take place in four of Scotland’s most iconic venues, the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Arena, Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Pool and the Scottish Exhibition Campus (SEC).
The action begins on 24 July with a powerful statement as the first medal of the Games will be awarded in Para Powerlifting, marking the first time in Commonwealth Games history that a Para sport opens the medal tally. Later that evening, fans can look forward to further medal events in Artistic Gymnastics and Swimming and Para Swimming, rounding off a thrilling opening day of competition.
Glasgow 2026 will feature expanded programmes in several sports, offering more sessions and more opportunities for fans to experience the action. Bowls and Para Bowls will run across all 10 days of the Games — the longest competition programme for the sport at a Commonwealth Games since Delhi 2010. 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball will see three additional sessions compared to Birmingham 2022, reflecting the growing popularity of the fast-paced format. In the pool, fans will be able to dive into Games firsts, including the men’s 800m freestyle and women’s 1500m freestyle, featuring for the first time, expanding the swim programme to its biggest ever at a Commonwealth Games.
The first weekend of the Games (25 and 26 July) promises to be a showstopper. Netball takes centre stage with a high-energy opening, with six sports lighting up the city across Saturday and Sunday, including 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball, Artistic Gymnastics, Bowls and Para Bowls, Boxing, Swimming and Para Swimming, and Weightlifting. With packed venues and eight medal sessions across 30 sports sessions, it’s shaping up to be one of the most electric weekends in Glasgow’s sporting history.
On Monday 27 July, Athletics and Para Athletics begin, starting six days of stunning action at Scotstoun Stadium, including the return of the iconic Commonwealth Mile, back for the first time since 1966. This historic race is expected to be one of the most anticipated events of the Games. Swimming and Para Swimming will conclude on Wednesday, 29 July, with evening sessions set to deliver high-stakes finals and emotional podium moments.
From 30 July, Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling take over the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, featuring the elimination race for the first time in Games history. The schedule includes more sessions than ever before, giving fans extra chances to witness speed, strategy and spectacle.
Super Saturday on 1 August promises wall-to-wall action, with medals on the line in Athletics and Para Athletics (both morning and evening sessions), plus Boxing, Judo and Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling, creating a blockbuster penultimate day for fans in the stands and around the globe.
The Games will close on 2 August with a dramatic final day. The last medal is expected to be awarded in either Judo or Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling, though the exact moment will depend on the flow of competition, adding a final twist to an unforgettable 10 days.
Olivia Breen, reigning Commonwealth T38 100m champion and Paralympic, World and European medallist, said, “I am so excited for Glasgow 2026 as it is a huge moment for Paralympic sport, with the largest medal programme in Commonwealth history, with 47 medals available across six sports. I love the Commonwealth Games as it is the only competition where the able-bodied and Paralympic athletes are together, and it’s always so supportive and such a positive vibe.”
Jack Carlin, Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World medallist in Track Cycling, said: “Glasgow 2026 is going to be amazing and today’s announcement of the Session Schedule has shown just how packed a programme it will be across all 10 sports. There will be so much to see and do across the 10 days of competition, and I have no doubt that the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is going to be one of the places to be next summer – the programme is mega.
“Pulling on a Scotland jersey is always special, and for the Scottish riders to get the chance to compete in a Scottish vest on a home track, in front of a home crowd, is extra special. It’s going to be brilliant!”
Phil Batty OBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, said, “Glasgow 2026 will be an incredible Games. Packed full of medal moments, a brilliant platform for Para Sport, and a thrilling programme of sport across ten days. From the very first session to the last, Glasgow 2026 will deliver stand-out moments to packed venues, creating sporting memories for spectators across the Commonwealth.”
“Today’s session schedule sets out the biggest Paralympic sport medal programme in Commonwealth Games history. It’s only fitting that the very first medal awarded will come from a Para Sport; a powerful statement of intent from the outset of the competition. Fans can expect unforgettable drama, fierce rivalries and the kind of sporting magic that only the Commonwealth Games can deliver.”
Katie Sadleir CZNM, CEO of Commonwealth Sport, added: “The release of the Sport Schedule is another exciting milestone for Glasgow 2026, which will deliver an unforgettable celebration showcasing the best of the Commonwealth’s athletes. This refreshed and focused programme reflects the evolving spirit of the Games — more inclusive, more events in many sports and just as inspiring. It’s a major step forward as we build towards another landmark moment for Commonwealth Sport.”
In addition to unveiling the Session Schedule today, Glasgow 2026 has launched its first national advertising campaign, placing sport and athletes at its heart.
The campaign captures the phenomenon of sport as a national obsession and celebrates our overnight transition to a nation of superfans and sporting experts when major sports events come to town.
The campaign will roll out across digital and Out of Home (OOH) advertising boards across central Scotland, and major cities across the UK, channelling Glasgow’s signature energy, warmth and humour. All roads lead online, where the search for answers about sports becomes part of the fun.
