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The Games no one wants to play

With few cities willing or able to play, the organising body is offering the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Melbourne on a plate.

Josefine Ganko

Jan 20, 2022

The 2026 Commonwealth Games has apparently become that rarest of international events: no one wants them.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has approached the Victorian government to offer them on a plate. The desperation is fairly transparent: the offer is completely open to Melbourne to accept, with no other interested cities in sight, and would allow existing facilities to be used and for events to be spread across regional centres.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp thinks it “just makes sense”, given existing infrastructure could be used. But the public reaction is mixed.

About the Author

Josefine Ganko

Reporter @JGanko

Josefine is a general reporter with a particular interest in public policy, law reform and sometimes sport. Josefine started at Crikey while completing degrees in law and public policy at the ANU, where she was an editor at Woroni.