By Isabel Lay

The King’s Baton has touched down in Australia, uniting athletes, fans and communities as momentum builds toward the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

A symbol of diversity and unity, for the first time in 2026 the Baton will feature a unique design in each of the Commonwealth territories before they come together at the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2026.

Australia’s baton has been designed by Kalkadoon artist Chern’ee Sutton, with the proud First Nations woman collaborating extensively with the Australian Commonwealth Games Team since her initial involvement with Commonwealth Sport at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

This fresh take on the traditional relay celebrates the uniqueness of all Commonwealth nations and territories.

Australian Team Chef de Mission Petria Thomas OAM OLY summed up the excitement, declaring the countdown to the Games well and truly on.

“The arrival of the King’s Baton is a critical milestone on the road to the Games, and there’s something special about it being celebrated on home soil,” Thomas said.

“The Australian Team is building something special, and you can sense the excitement in the air as I chat with athletes, their coaches and their family and friends.

“We’ll arrive at the Opening Ceremony with our Baton ready to take on the best athletes of the Commonwealth.”

His Majesty King Charles III called upon athletes to come together in friendly competition, with the King’s Baton Relay sharing that message with communities across the Commonwealth.

Beginning its journey just over a year ago at Buckingham Palace and concluding 500 days later, each Baton contains a word or phrase from a message to be read at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Australia closes out the Oceania leg of the King’s Baton Relay, taking over from New Zealand before the Americas are celebrated with a maiden stop in the Falkland Islands.

Across five days, Australia will host the King’s Baton from 21-25 March 2026.

Launching at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Baton will be emerge on home soil in the hands of rising star Briseis Brittain.

A proud Gunalbingu & Njebbana woman, Brittain has emerged as one of Australia’s most exciting young athletes following her international debut at the 2025 World Para‑Athletics Championships and now continues her rise as a determined Glasgow 2026 aspirant.

It will then travel to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, with 2024 world 50m backstroke champion Isaac Cooper to join Birmingham 2022 women’s 1500m bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell among the diverse coral and sea life.

On Monday 23 March in Townsville, the community are invited to join the Tangaroa Blue Foundation at an ocean clean-up experience that supports the prevention of one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth oceans and waterways before Glasgow 2026.

The journey then continues at Admiralty House in Sydney, with the Governor General, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC to welcome the King’s Baton to her residence.

Kuala Lumpur 1998 bronze medallist Matt Shirvington will present the Baton to Her Excellency alongside representatives from across the Oceania region, Glasgow aspirants and Games alumni.

Seven-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ariarne Titmus OAM then brings home the Australian leg with a visit to her childhood pool at the Launceston Leisure and Aquatic Centre.

The pool features an iconic mural of the swimming icon, and it is where her impressive journey to stardom began.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place from 23 July to 2 August 2026.