2026 Commonwealth Games to transform Victorian regions

As the Comm Games baton passes to Victoria, plans are under way to ensure the 2026 event delivers a fresh wave of tourism and puts the state on the “world map”.

Victoria’s Commonwealth Games will deliver a decade of major new international sports events, soaring tourism, a fresh wave of immigration and massive boost to sports participation.

More than a billion people were due to tune in to Birmingham 2022 closing ceremony in the early hours of Tuesday, with Victoria taking the baton.

Four regional hubs will host the 2026 Games – Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Gippsland – each with its own athletes’ village and facilities for a range of sports.

Games chief Jeroen Weimar said incredible opportunities were opening up for the state ahead of the extravaganza to begin at the MCG on March 17 – in 1316 days.

In addition to the Games events, Mr Weimar revealed there had been talks in Birmingham with several international sports federations to secure many more major sporting competitions in its lead-up and in the years after, in what could be a big boon for the state.

“This isn’t just about a 12-day event, it is about putting our regional communities on the world map,” Mr Weimar said.

“We want to be a major player over several years.”

Geelong will play a signifiant role in the 2026 Games.

Other regional centres are expected to get in on the ­action, including hosting pre-Games training camps.

Organisers are also working with Victorian sports organisations to lift participation and excellence in the Games sports before and after the event, taking advantage of their ­increased profile and creating a new generation of stars.

Other legacies, Mr Weimar said, would include a major boost in sporting facilities.

Geelong will get a new open-air pool to host the swimming and diving and a state-of-the-art gymnastics centre, while Stead Park will be upgraded for the hockey.

Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium is being revamped for the athletics.

The Games would provide a much-needed boost in affordable housing, Mr Weimar added, with accommodation being built for 2000 athletes in each of the Geelong and Ballarat villages, about 1500 ­expected to be housed in the Bendigo village and 1000 in Traralgon.

While the state government has committed $2.6bn for the event, much more was expected to be invested in and around the regional centres, he said.

The Games would provide a much-needed boost in affordable housing.

Substantial tourism and hospitality investment has already started, with hotel developments under way in Geelong and Bendigo, and many more new venues and attractions expected to launch.

And Mr Weimar said it was hoped the event would reinvigorate the state’s pandemic-hit population growth, with viewers from around the globe ­attracted to Victoria.

It is estimated the Commonwealth Games will contribute $3bn-plus to the economy, creating more than 600 jobs before the event, 3900 during and 3000 jobs after the closing ceremony.

During the Games itself, the organisers are planning a big program of festivals in the four host cities throughout the days and into the nights.

Before the action begins, a statewide program of live sites and activations will be created, with the Queen’s Baton Relay to traverse the regions.

The Victorian regional concept is a first for the Games, and a forerunner for ­coalitions of smaller countries and ­regions in the Pacific and Africa to bid for future Games.

The state government has committed $2.6bn for the event, but much more was expected to be invested in and around the regional centres. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Audiences this morning had their first glimpse of how the event would look through a video – dubbed Victoria’s ­Vision – showcasing the four host cities, their people, diverse culture and hospitality.

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief Felicia Mariani called on the government of the day to commit to a “legacy tourism project”.

“We have in front of us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put regional Victoria on a pedestal globally to really illustrate how well our regional ­offering aligns with the great international reputation that Melbourne already has established,” she said.