King Charles highlights plastic pollution as Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow
The Commonwealth Games began in Glasgow with a ceremony for 10,000 spectators, featuring performances by Scottish artists and a speech by King Charles III urging action against plastic pollution. The event is smaller than the 2014 edition, with eight fewer sports due to short notice after Victoria withdrew.
The Commonwealth Games kicked off on Thursday at Glasgow's Hydro arena with an intimate opening ceremony attended by about 10,000 people, a fraction of the 40,000 who witnessed the 2014 Games opening at Celtic Park.
Loud cheers greeted the Falkland Islands team (recently in the news after Argentina's World Cup semi-final win over England) and the Samoa team, which performed a haka. The biggest roar came for the Scotland team, entering in white shirts and kilts.
The ceremony featured a Loch Ness Monster display, bagpipers, and a rendition of "Flower of Scotland". Performances included Nathan Evans, Callum Beattie singing "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" (adopted as Scotland's unofficial anthem), Nina Nesbitt performing "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", and KT Tunstall's "No Scotland No Party".
King Charles III, in a video message, stressed the importance of preventing plastic pollution in oceans. "As we share our love of sport and our planet, let us build a harmonious future for our families," he said.
The Games run for 10 days, with the closing ceremony on 2 August back at the Hydro. The first medals will be awarded in Para-powerlifting on Friday evening.
Glasgow stepped in as host on short notice after Australia's Victoria state withdrew in 2023. Compared to 2014, there are eight fewer sports, and venues from 12 years ago have been repurposed. Commonwealth Sport president Donald Rukare, wearing a tartan kilt in Ugandan colours, praised Glasgow's "extraordinary legacy" and warm welcome.
George Black, chair of Glasgow 2026, noted that when the Games' future was uncertain, Glasgow asked not "Can we?" but "When do we get started?" He highlighted that venues, businesses, and communities came together with the belief that the Commonwealth Games matter.
