The 2026 Commonwealth Games officially opened on Thursday evening with a ceremony at Glasgow's Hydro venue. The event started at 8pm local time (5am AEST on Friday). The games will feature a range of sports, including athletics, swimming, and netball. Netball is not an Olympic sport but remains a key draw at the Commonwealth Games. Among the notable swimmers competing are Chad le Clos of South Africa, who is aiming to break the record for the most Commonwealth medals, and Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan. A highly anticipated event is the mile race. The games are seen as a scaled-down version compared to previous editions, with some questioning the future of the event. However, the opening ceremony marked the start of competition across multiple venues in Glasgow. The medal table will be updated throughout the games.