Victoria confirmed as 2026 Commonwealth Games host with regional centres to host most events

Victoria has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with regional parts of the state set to host the majority of events.

Regional hubs will be set up in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, with athletes' villages to be established in each centre.

The opening ceremony will be held in Melbourne at the MCG, with the rest of the events to be held the regions.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the games would be an opportunity to showcase regional parts of the state, and to invest in sporting infrastructure in those areas.

«This will be a Commonwealth Games like no other. We promised we wouldn't be doing a re-run of 2006, as successful as that was,» he said.

«This is also about creating jobs, some nearly 4,000 jobs during the Commonwealth Games and some 3,000 enduring jobs thereafter.»

The government announced in February it would enter a two-month negotiation period with the Commonwealth Games Federation over commercial aspects of the event.

More to come.