A jam-packed programme of 22 sports featuring the Commonwealth’s best athletes is coming to regional Victoria.
Victoria 2026 will include nine fully integrated Para sports after the sports program was locked in by the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Australia and the Victorian Government.
Golf, 3×3 Basketball, 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball, Coastal Rowing, Shooting, Shooting Para Sport, BMX Racing, Mountain Bike Cross Country, Track Cycling and Para Cycling Track have been added to the already impressive sports line-up for Victoria 2026.
Netball, where the Diamonds will look to repeat their gold medal-winning performance at this year’s Games, 3×3 Basketball, 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball, Lawn Bowls, Para Lawn Bowls, Table Tennis, Para Table Tennis and Squash are the six confirmed sports for Bendigo at the Victoria 2026 Games.
The city will get a Games village in Flora Hill that will be a home-away-from-home for more than 1600 athletes and officials. The village will be designed in consultation with the Dja Dja Warrung people and the community.
The Games Village will deliver a legacy that will benefit the Bendigo community for decades to come, including affordable and social housing.
Shepparton, our newest Games city, will host both men’s and women’s time trials for the road race, as well as BMX Racing competition.
Shepparton and Bendigo will also welcome major festivals alongside the sport program. An exciting array of events, experiences and exhibitions will tap into both region’s vibrant cultural scene.
The @victoriacg2026 sports are in! Including two sports making @thecgf Commonwealth Games debuts and new disciplines! Now just 1,259 days to go! 🥳
Find out more about the full list of sports at: https://t.co/AALAFPrEGX#victoria2026 pic.twitter.com/mrZRa1OaJJ
— Commonwealth Games Australia (@CommGamesAUS) October 5, 2022
Coastal Rowing, Golf and BMX Racing will make their Commonwealth Games debut at Victoria 2026, while the high-octane 3×3 Basketball made its Games debut in Birmingham this year.
Shooting sports have a long history at the Commonwealth Games and are popular among many Commonwealth nations, which will help attract a strong international audience.
Australia will attempt to defend its gold medal when T20 Cricket (Women’s) is played as part of a strong women’s Sport Program.
In a Commonwealth Games first, Victoria 2026 introduces a multi-city model that takes global sport to regional centres in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton. Four of those hubs will have an athletes’ village and all will host a range of sports that will create a legacy that extends well beyond competition.
Victoria 2026 will be held from 17-29 March 2026, with a bumper 12 days of competition across Victoria, allowing our regions to shine on the world stage.
The extra sports and disciplines will attract thousands of additional visitors to the regions, contributing to the more than $3 billion that Victoria 2026 is forecast to add to the state’s economy.
