Victoria State in Australia has announced its withdrawal as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to a significant increase in the projected costs associated with organizing the event.
Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, stated on Tuesday that his government had previously agreed to host the quadrennial games but not at any expense. He refrained from providing specific details regarding the reasons behind the cost discrepancy.
Andrews emphasized that spending 6-7 billion Australian dollars for a 12-day sporting event was not justifiable, as it lacked value for money and failed to yield any benefits.
Originally planned to take place from 17 to 29 March 2026 in several regional centres including Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland, and Shepparton, the Games faced financial challenges.
The initial budget allocated for hosting the event in five regional cities was 2.6 billion Australian dollars (£1.4 billion). However, recent estimates revealed a potential cost as high as 7 billion Australian dollars (£3.7 billion).
During a news conference, Andrews announced that he had informed the Commonwealth Games organizers about the government’s decision to withdraw from the hosting contract.