After initially being scheduled to be held in the Australian state of Victoria, the 2026 Commonwealth Games will now begin in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 23, beginning with the opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro indoor stadium.
More than 3,000 athletes from 74 countries will compete for 200 gold medals in 10 sports (16 disciplines, including parasports), including athletics, swimming, track cycling, netball, basketball and more.
Compared to the 31 sports featured at Birmingham 2022, Glasgow 2026 will feature just 10 sports, with events such as hockey, diving, rugby sevens and cricket being dropped. This is to accommodate rising costs, the same reason Victoria backed out as host in the first place.
But there will still be plenty of stars on display, from the blockbuster men’s javelin showdown between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem to sprint queen Shericka Jackson, Olympic swimming champions Kaylee McKeown and Adam Peaty, and Olympic gymnastics champion Rhys McClenaghan.
The best part? You can watch every event, every day, for free in Australia and Canada, with free daily highlights in the UK. Abroad? We’ll show you how to watch the 2026 Commonwealth Games for free from anywhere with a good VPN – our favorite NordVPN comes with up to 75% off.
Can I stream the 2026 Commonwealth Games for free?
Yeah. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be broadcast live and free in many countries around the world, with the best English-language coverage available in Australia and Canada.
🇦🇺Australia: 7Plus
🇨🇦 Canada: CBC Gem
🇳🇿 New Zealand: three now (some free events)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: channel 5 (daily highlights)
Abroad during the games? You can use a NordVPN (try it 100% risk-free) to watch all the action for free as if you were at home.
Use a VPN to watch any Commonwealth Games 2026 broadcast
Why is a VPN a good option for watching the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
The 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will take place from July 23 to August 2, coincide with the peak summer holiday season. Unfortunately, your usual streaming options may be geoblocked while you’re away.
That’s where a vpn It comes in handy: it not only allows you to access your home streaming services from anywhere, but also protects you from potential online threats. We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and will unblock any free streaming service so you can watch the action.
What devices can I watch the 2026 Commonwealth Games on?
7Plus
Apple iOS (iOS v11 or later)
Android (Android v5.2 or later)
Airplay
Chromecast
Smart TVs (Telstra TV, Fetch TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, LG TV, Android TV, Sony Linux TV)
DTT Plus
Web: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
CBC Gem
Android
android tv
television fire
iOS/iPadOS
AppleTV
Rogers Xfinity
roku
Xbox (One, Series X|S)
Samsung smart TVs
LG Smart TVs
Chromecast
Devices with Chrome OS
Web browser (desktop/laptop)
What sports are included in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games?
- Athletics and Paraathletics
- Swimming and Paraswimming
- Artistic Gymnastics
- Track Cycling and Para Track Cycling
- Basketball
- Weightlifting and Parapowerlifting
- Boxing
- Judo
- Bowling and Parabolos
- 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball
You can also enjoy…
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