King Charles opens Glasgow 2026: A royal welcome as Commonwealth comes together

King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Glasgow for the official opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The ceremony is taking place at The Hydro, one of the world’s leading entertainment venues and will see the King formally declare the XXIII Commonwealth Games open in front of thousands of athletes, officials, volunteers and spectators.

More than 3,000 competitors from 74 nations and territories will take part in 11 days of competition, battling for 215 gold medals across 10 sporting disciplines as Glasgow welcomes the Commonwealth family back to Scotland.

Organisers have promised a spectacular opening night that will reflect the spirit and identity of the host city, celebrating Glasgow’s creativity, culture and sporting heritage.

A major moment of the ceremony will come when the King reads a message he placed inside the King’s Baton at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day in March 2025.

The Baton Relay has travelled an extraordinary journey over the past 500 days, visiting all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories in what organisers describe as the longest relay in the history of the Games.

The Duke of Edinburgh was also present at the Commonwealth Games, where he met with bowlers representing England and Wales.