Commonwealth Games 2026: Why Birmingham's stunning success puts Victoria under even more pressure
Birmingham blitzed the Commonwealth Games in a big way and Victoria needs to follow suit. Joe Barton looks at 10 areas where the state needs to deliver to get it right in 2026.
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Dismissed by the woke mob as a colonial relic that has no relevance in the 21st century, Birmingham has saved the “Friendly Games” from the scrap heap.
Not only did Brum step in and agree to take over as hosts after the South African city of Durban pulled out because they had run out of money, they also reminded everyone in the Commonwealth why the Games are worth preserving.
In an age where most major international sporting events have been swamped by crass commercialisation, the Commonwealth Games are a throwback to happier times.
They are not the Olympics — but they have never pretended to be — because they showcase eclectic sports that are ingrained in our culture and part of the unbreakable bond to the Commonwealth.
Sports such as cricket, and netball, and lawn bowls, and hockey, and squash.
Supporters of the Games, and there’s a lot more of them now than there were a fortnight ago, will argue they are more relevant and needed than ever before.
And they’re right. But only if they are done the right way.
Whether it’s seeing the unbridled joy that competitors from tiny island nations get when they set foot on the medal podium or the quirky sports that no other major sporting event would dare allow, there’s just something magical about the Commonwealth Games that Victoria needs to keep in mind when it hosts them in 2026.
Aussies love multi-sports events — and the global pandemic has only reinforced why after the blinding success and mass public support for last year’s Tokyo Olympics and now the Commonwealth Games.
Not only that, Birmingham has just provided regional Victoria with a DIY guidebook for success that could be summarised in three words: keep it fun.
When Aaron “Disco” Wilson retained his single’s title at the posh-sounding Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club, of course he ripped off his shirt for the crowd, lamenting only that he didn’t have a “better rig”.
At what is perhaps the most quintessential Commonwealth sport of all, one of the gold medallists on those same lawn bowling greens was a 75-year-old blind Scotsman, competing in the visually impaired category.
Australia’s medallists in table tennis included Lin Ma, a naturalised one-handed Chinese paddler whose other arm was eaten by a bear at a zoo.
When Australian middle-distance runner Ollie Hoare won the 1500m, his lap of honour took 45 minutes as he stopped and posed for selfies with everyone in the crowd that wanted a snap.
Outside the stadium, a local man and his son kept the crowds entertained while they were queuing for their buses home by playing music from a DJ booth they had made out of a reconditioned caravan.
If they tried that in Australia, the fun police would slap them with a ticket, but that’s not how they roll in Birmingham.
That doesn’t mean the competition wasn’t world-class, because some of the best athletes on the planet were there. But winning just isn’t everything at the Friendly Games.
For every Emma McKeon there’s plenty of Disco Wilsons — and that’s the cue for petty state politicians to remember it’s the athletes, not officials, people want to see.
If there’s one thing Birmingham did better than every other recent host of the Commonwealth Games, it’s ditching a lot of pomp and ceremony and replacing it with self-mocking humour and old fashioned rock ’n’ roll.
The 11 days of competition were an unashamed festival of boozing in the sun and clowning around. Instead of boasting about how good they are, the barmy folk from England’s West Midlands just poked fun at themselves and had a laugh — and everyone else lapped it up.
The party atmosphere that took over Britain’s second-largest city was so infectious that the tens of thousands of foreign visitors are still wondering if the water in the city’s canals is laced with Viagra.
The crowds turned out in droves at every event because the organisers kept the tickets affordable and didn’t waste billions of taxpayer pounds on building new stadiums no one will use when the circus leaves town.
Victoria got the 2026 Commonwealth Games at a cut-price rate with a green light to run them however they like because no one else wanted them.
But that’s not an excuse to stuff them up after Birmingham showed everyone that the secret to holding a successful Games is simpler than everyone thinks.
10 THINGS VICTORIA CAN LEARN FROM BIRMINGHAM
—Joe Barton
1. The Tokyo Olympics featured some incredible moments … but they felt less special because they were done in front of empty stands. But across Birmingham — and surrounding cities — the crowds have been truly part of the show. Whether they were the boozed up types at the 3x3 basketball, the serene fans sitting alongside royalty at the lawn bowls or the packed houses at the athletics and swimming, they made their voices heard. Eilish McColgan’s stunning finish at the 10,000m? It’s not possible without 30,000 screaming the Scot to victory. Hopefully in four years we’ve long forgotten about Covid, but packing the stands will make or break the Games down under.
2. Even within the UK, Birmingham gets a bad wrap — it’s almost become a bit of a punchline. But these Games showcased not just Birmingham, but the surrounding regions, with Coventry, Leamington Spa, Wolverhampton and Warwick all getting their time in the sun (and occasional drizzling rain, but it was delightful nonetheless). People came from all over the midlands to embrace the Friendly Games — something regional Victoria will get to enjoy in four years time.
3. Size isn’t everything. The future of the Commonwealth Games is in cities that may never get a look-in for an Olympics, and Birmingham has certainly proved that they can put on a world class event. Though it is the second biggest city, by population, in the UK, its reputation pales in comparison to big brother London and even popular cousin Manchester. It showed them both up over the past fortnight.
4. Plenty of magic despite no-shows. OK, sprint stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson turned their back on the Games. Would they have added some star power to the event? No question. But did anybody miss them? Well, they certainly weren’t the names on everybody’s lips at Alexander Park as Games records tumbled and new stars were born. Every athlete who came to Birmingham wanted to win — and no medal was any less worthy because of a couple of no-shows.
5. Testing the waters on new sports. Here’s a tip to the Victorian organisers — don’t be afraid to take a risk on new sports that energise the next generation of Aussie athletes. In Birmingham the hottest ticket in town wasn’t for the swimming or the 100m finals … it was a pass to the ‘party venue’ at Smithfields where the 3x3 basketball and beach volleyball reigned supreme. The atmosphere at the basketball when England’s men defeated Australia to claim gold was electric. Throw in the BMX and skateboarding at Tokyo last year, and it’s bringing in a whole new audience. We’re still not sure about the breakdancing at Paris 2024, though.
6. Local spirit. You couldn’t walk 10 steps without being drawn into conversation with a cheery local who was deeply proud of being able to show off the best of Birmingham. The friendly fans and legions of helpful volunteers made everyone feel at home. And why not? “Why wouldn’t you be excited to have world class athletes competing on your doorstep?” one passionate fan explained, while clutching a fistful of tickets for events that ranged from athletics to squash, weightlifting and lawn bowls. That’s the spirit. Don’t be too cool to celebrate your town getting worldwide attention.
7. Track cycling is an absolute must. Vic2026 must find a way to include track cycling in its schedule. With endless thrills and spills, mixed in with a bucketload of Aussie gold, the track was can’t-miss TV through the first week. Even being hosted at the Lee Valley Velodrome in London didn’t dull the interest — suggesting that in 2026 it could be hosted in Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide if Victoria can’t commit to a world-class venue to stage it.
8. Embrace the party vibe. Anyone who has been to Birmingham knows it’s a city that likes to have a good time. So, they were always going to throw a party when the Comm Games rolled into town. The world capital for bottomless brunches turned this event into a rollicking two-week celebration that went from dawn to dusk … And sometimes back to dawn again. Live sites, street food, bars spilling out onto the football and overwhelming positive vibes — shout out to Dhillons Brewery in Coventry and Leamington Spa’s famous Cricketers Arms for all the good times. Ditch the nanny state rules and learn how to have fun, Victoria. You’ll love it.
9. Weird is wonderful. We never expected to say this but … lawn bowls absolutely rocks. We’re not talking about a Sunday barefoot bowl, either. The skills on display on the picturesque greens of Victoria Park provided some of the greatest, and most dramatic, moments of the 2022 Games. It was the true hidden gem of the entire fortnight, to all except the hordes who descended upon Leamington Spa daily. Anyone who watched Ellen Ryan send down two fearless drives to seal gold in the women’s pairs will be a bowls fan for life.
10. You’ve got to nail the opening ceremony — and maybe borrow Perry the Bull. Birmingham absolutely blitzed the opening ceremony, with nods to its culture and history, and at the centre of it all was a 10m tall mechanical bull that immediately went on display in the town centre and has proven so popular with locals and tourists alike that it’s been saved from the scrap heap. The bull is synonymous with Birmingham and the Games mascot, Benny the Bull, was a hit with kids. Victoria, get your thinking caps on immediately to find your own Perry
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Originally published as Commonwealth Games 2026: Why Birmingham's stunning success puts Victoria under even more pressure
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