Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) has confirmed that the Victoria Commonwealth Games 2026 will begin on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2026. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the opening ceremony, which will start the 12-day tournament that will continue through March 29.
The Commonwealth Games, also known as the Friendly Games, are an international multi-sport tournament that features athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The tournament originated in 1930 and has been held every four years since then, except for 1942 and 1946.
Melbourne will become the second stadium to host the Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies twice. Only Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium has previously hosted two opening ceremonies of the event, in 1970 and 1986 respectively.
The tournament will feature at least 16 confirmed sports, with a probability to feature a few more. The committee has shown interest to add other sports and will confirm the details after an official meeting is conducted. It is expected that up to five sports might be added through this process.
To decide on additional sports, the Victorian government will consult with Commonwealth Games Australia and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
The 16 sports already on the schedule are aquatics, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, T20 cricket, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon, and weightlifting.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the alleged day of his death.