CANADA VIBES NEWSROOM · ÉDITION DU MATIN | MORNING EDITION — Thursday, July 23, 2026, 7:00 AM ET

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The opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was held Thursday evening at Glasgow’s Hydro arena, launching eleven days of competition featuring more than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories, including Team Canada.

The ceremony, which began at 8 p.m. local British time on Thursday, brought together athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories in front of a crowd of roughly 13,000. They will compete for 215 gold medals over the next eleven days.

King Charles III, joined by six-time Olympic track cycling champion Chris Hoy, took part in the official opening, preceded by performances from Scottish artists including Tom Walker, KT Tunstall, Callum Beattie and Nina Nesbitt.

Team Canada, one of the largest delegations at the Games, begins its campaign aiming to build on its results from previous editions. Competition continues through August 2.

The return of the Games to Glasgow, more than a decade after the city last hosted in 2014, comes as several marquee athletes, including Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, have withdrawn due to injury.

What to watch

Canada’s first medals starting Friday, and the full competition schedule running through the closing ceremony on August 2.

Sources

• Olympics.com, “Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony”
• Sky Sports, 2026 Commonwealth Games coverage