Commonwealth Games 2026: opening ceremony in Glasgow – live

Key events1h agoPreambleGosh, Malawi have gone for red blazers and black trousers, not unlike my niece and nephew’s school uniform, quickly redeemed by Mauritius’ summer shirts.Kenya are in bright red trackies, while Lesotho are into the spirit of things with tartan flat caps – though I’m not sure why the blue of their jackets doesn’t match the blue of their trooser.Any excuse: in dance Ghana, so here’s a playlist of Ghanaian tunes.First Botswana, then national dress from Cameron and varsity jackets from Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, before a four athlete-strong delegation from recent joiners, Gabon.Now, though, it’s time for the athletes, 74 nations’ worth, starting with those from Africa. I’m hoping for some banging trackies.Anyhow, the royals sit with Andy Burnham, prime minister apparently, and it’s anthem time.So much so, this was the second piece I ever wrote for the Guardian.And here we go, Hoy leading the King and Queen out of the tardis and into a garden trimmed into a Saltire. If you’re asking me for my Scottish icon, though – and we’ll see plenty tonight – there’s only one. Photograph: PAAh, it’s a Dr Who-themed thing, searching for the King and Queen at Balmoral.It’s almost time, and here’s Chris Hoy introducing things with a skit. It’s great to see him enjoying hissel.Admittedly I’ve been fasting since last evening – it’s what Jews call Tisha B’Av – but all this talk of Glasgow has me chaleshing for a deep fried Mars bar. A deep fried anything, really, I’m not fussy, but I’d take a Mars all day long.It’s not just athletics, though. I’m really looking forward to the netball, which should be an Olympic sport but isn’t, and also the swimming. We’re missing Summer McIntosh, but we’ve got Chad le Clos, looking to break the Commonwealth medals record, and Mollie O’Callaghan – among others,What a race that mile is going to be.Those of us who grew up with Steve Cram and his three world records in 19 days love the mile.I can’t wait for this race.This is so cool.We’ve had some bad news today: Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the Games with injury, while Dina Asher-Smith and Matt Hudson-Smith are also out. We were already missing Keely Hodgkinson, Oblique Seville, Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi and Julien Alfred.PreambleFew cities in the world boast an identity a well-defined as Glasgow, its character defined by a love of storytelling and celebration, kindness and aggression, wit and resilience, related with a glorious poetic profanity. And if, to that, we add an international sporting event in need of a boost, we have the perfect combination and the perfect tonic now we’re bereft of Wimbledon, World Cup and the golfing majors. You might not think we need this, but I promise you: we need this.It wasn’t actually meant to be such. Originally, the Games were to take place in Victoria, Australia but, as costs spiralled, the state government pulled out, then so too did Gold Coast, Queensland, the initial replacement.So it’s off to Glesga we go, for a scaled-back affair featuring 10 not 19 events, para sport and able-bodied sport fully integrated into an intense week-and-a-bit of sensation and nourishment, joy and despair – and it all begins roundabout now.