Victoria 2026 was a cancelled international multi-sports event scheduled for April 2026 and the twenty-third edition of the Commonwealth Games. It was planned to be the first games to be held across a regional area, in the cities of Geelong, Ballarat, Shepparton, Bendigo; hosts of the 2004 Youth Commonwealth Games, and the Gippsland region.
On 12 April 2022, the Commonwealth Games Federation awarded hosting privileges to Victoria, after initially requesting that Melbourne, host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, stage the event again. The state was widely expected to deliver on their ambitions for a regional format, as far as to feature in the handover ceremony of Birmingham 2022.
On 12 April 2022, the CGF proclaimed Victoria the host of the games.[1] The event's social media accounts were created that day, using the above as an interim emblem.
July 2022–2023[]
Designer:
In-house team of Victoria State Government
Typography:
Modified State Government font
Launched:
6 July 2022
The emblem was modified after the announcement of the games' dates.[2]
2023[]
Designer:
In-house team of Victoria 2026 Committee
Typography:
State Government font
Launched:
c. 20 March 2023
This variant of the interim logo surfaced through a leaflet detailing business opportunities[3] and was used at official forums, although the previous logo was still in use on the event website and social media.
On 18 July 2023 at a hastily-organised press conference, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that Victoria had withdrawn from hosting duties[4], citing a cost blowout of nearly triple the initial A$2.6 billion budget that would render the event financially unviable.
Eventually, a new host for the event was found in Glasgow, Scotland. The city struck an agreement with Commonwealth Games Federation in September 2024.
