Australia given three-month deadline to find Commonwealth Games host as trio of mystery bids emerge

Australia has three months to find a host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with three other candidates emerging for the multi-sport event.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) hierarchy says finding an Australian host for the 2026 edition remains the priority as it asks for government support.

Welshman Chris Jenkins was elected president at the CGF’s general meeting in Singapore on Wednesday on a platform of “remodeling” the Games.

Jenkins takes the top spot amid the crisis of hosting the 2026 Games after the Victorian government pulled out in July, citing cost debates.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has offered to intervene to the tune of an estimated $700 million, but the Queensland government has ruled out support.

CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir says three other unnamed regions have emerged as potential candidates to host a Games in 2026 or 2027.

“We have been working closely with Commonwealth Games Australia,” Sadleir told reporters on Wednesday evening.

“They are very keen to hold the Games in Australia and that is why we are working to support them with their queries.

‘And then there are three other regions with which we are in discussions, but they are mainly a preparatory stage.

“But our goal is to be in a position early in the new year where we can determine where the 2026 and 2027 Games might go and whether we might do something different.

“We have started looking for alternative models and we will continue that work and we are looking for a host for ’26.

‘… Nothing is sure. It’s a very short period of time to find a host.’

Sadleir said a decision would likely come in February and that postponing the Games until 2027 was on the table.

Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips briefed the countries at the Singapore general meeting as he awaits a formal proposal from the Gold Coast, host of the 2018 Games.

“They still need to work out internally what that might look like and also any ongoing discussions with the Queensland government in terms of their support,” Phillips told AAP.

“It’s clear that a Games anywhere in Australia would need a lot of state government support.”

Phillips said other Commonwealth countries wanted Australia to host the next Games.

“There is a lot of support from our colleagues that the Games are still taking place somewhere in Australia, which is encouraging,” he said.

“They have thrown their support behind us.”

Phillips said CGA would also continue to explore other Australian states, although none have yet expressed interest.

“Obviously we’re preparing for conversations with different states, the work continues between us and the CGF in terms of mapping out what that might look like,” he said.

“Being here and meeting with the CGF has given us the opportunity to make progress, but we are still in a situation where we need to prepare for those conversations.”

And Sadleir promised that the Games would go ahead in some form.

“We’re going to do something in ’26, ’27,” she said.

The new chairman of the Commonwealth Games, Chris Jenkins, has promised to reshape the event

“And that’s part of that alternative view…we’re spending some time looking at what Plan B might be.

“But at the same time, definitely focused on having serious conversations with potential hosts to talk about how we can make this possible.”

The Victorian government pulled out as host citing an expected increase in costs from between $2 billion and $3 billion to between $6 billion and $7 billion, figures disputed by the Games’ hierarchy.

“I’m not going to talk about the costs Victoria incurred specifically for the Games,” Sadleir said.

“But what I can say is that the Games in Birmingham (2022) and the Gold Coast (2018) were significantly less than the cost in Victoria.

“Where we look at potential hosts now, we’re certainly looking at lowering costs.”