The Victoria State Government has confirmed that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will not go ahead.
The announcement comes just under three years out from the original planned start date of the event.
Commonwealth Games news: Victoria cancel 2026 event
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the 2026 Commonwealth Games have been cancelled due to funding issues.
"We have informed Commonwealth Games authorities of our decision to seek to terminate the contract and to not conduct, not host the games," Andrews told reporters on Tuesday morning.
He explained that the event was initially forecast to cost AU$2.6 billion, but is now likely to cost AU$6 billion.
"I cannot stand here and say to you that I have any confidence that even $7 billion would appropriately and adequately fund these games," he added.
Andrews also stated he would not take money out of hospitals and schools to cover the cost of the Games.
Bit of a long one this morning.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) July 17, 2023
You might have heard the news this morning that Victoria will no longer be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
And I wanted to tell you about the decision.
Commonwealth Games 2026: NSW, WA and South Australia rule out hosting
No official steps have been made yet regarding a potential replacement host.
Premiers from the states of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia have all announced they do not intend to bid for hosting rights.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the sheer cost of the event meant it was not feasible to step in and host.
"I’m not going to commit to a massive project that I’m not confident that we can complete given the huge pressures the government and the people of New South Wales are already facing," Minns told reporters on Tuesday.
"I’ve got to be acutely aware of the mandate for which we were elected. Hospitals and schools are under immense pressure.
"Hosting the Commonwealth Games would be something nice to do. Schools and hospitals are must-dos."
The 2026 event in Victoria was set to be the first time the Games took place in a region instead of a city.
While the opening ceremony was planned to be held in the state's capital of Melbourne, events were slated to take place in regional areas including Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton.
Organisers had initially scheduled the Games for March 17 - March 29, 2026.
How many times has Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games? Past host cities
The 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games was going to mark the sixth time Australia had hosted the event in its history.
It was also set to be the second Games in Victoria after Melbourne held the event in 2006.
Other Australian cities to have previously hosted are Sydney (1938), Perth (1962), Brisbane (1982) and Gold Coast (2018).
