The formal bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games has been presented by a host of delegates from Victoria in front of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) executive board in Birmingham.

The formal bid included key details about the planning and running of the potential Commonwealth Games in Victoria, which includes the MCG to host the Opening Ceremony, before the event splits across four regional centres in Victoria, each equipped with their own Athletes’ Village.

The presentation also revealed there is expected to be between 19 and 22 sports included on the programme for 2026, with the new CGF guidelines requiring organising committee’s to only include athletes and swimming as compulsory options, leaving the remaining choices open for the organising committee.

The upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, for example, will have 283 events across 20 sports.

The Australian delegation for the presentation included Victorian Sports Minister, Martin Pakula, Victorian Governor, Linda Dessau, Visit Victoria CEO, Brendan McClements, Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Philips, and Commonwealth Games Australia president, Ben Houston.

Among the presentation were official plans for regional centres to play a major role in the hosting of key events and athletes, with Geelong and Ballarat identified as key potential hosts, despite no official confirmation of any regional towns chosen.

Following a review process by the CGF and continued conversations between the Victorian organisers and government with the CGF, the announcement of an official host is expected to be made next month, where the organising committee will also reveal the sports included in the 2026 programme.

CGF president, Dame Louise Martin, told insidethegames the presentation went “very well”, but noted a few issues that will need to be discussed before an official announcement can be made.

“We are still in the infancy of talking,” Martin said.

“But this could be the making of the Commonwealth Games giving more opportunities to countries, regions, and cities than ever before to host a major event,” she said.