Commonwealth Games in turmoil as Gold Coast drops bid to host in 2026

• City’s mayor: ‘We did our best and that’s all people can expect’
• State of Victoria also withdrew as host due to huge cost

The Gold Coast has withdrawn its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the city’s mayor has said. In a statement, Tom Tate said: “We did our best and that’s all people can expect.

“In simple terms, it seems our Games’ vision doesn’t align with the vision of the state or federal governments.”