By Kazeem Oyetunde 

Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games organisers have unveiled an expansive 10-week cultural programme designed to bring the spirit of the Commonwealth Games to life across the Scottish city this summer.

Running from May 23 to August 9, the Glasgow 2026 Festival will transform streets, parks, venues and public spaces through hundreds of cultural, sporting and community activities celebrating creativity, diversity and participation ahead of the Games.

Among the headline attractions is acclaimed artist Jasleen Kaur, winner of the 2024 Turner Prize, who will unveil a major new public artwork titled Superstructure on June 18.

The installation will feature eight weather vane-inspired sculptures positioned along the River Clyde, reflecting themes of trade, industry and empire while symbolically connecting Glasgow’s historical identity with its future ambitions.

The festival programme blends internationally renowned cultural events with fresh artistic commissions linked directly to the Commonwealth Games atmosphere. Major events include the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art, WOMAD, Glasgow Mela, alongside performances and pop-up showcases from Scottish Opera and Piping Live!.

Organisers also confirmed that the popular Merchant City Festival will expand to two weekends this year, running from July 24–26 and July 31–August 2, featuring additional live sport screenings and free family-focused activities at the Candleriggs Festival Village.

In total, 161 artists, sports clubs, cultural organisations and community groups are expected to deliver projects across Glasgow neighbourhoods, many of them free for the public.

To mark the official launch, Glasgow-based creative director Vince Virr produced a promotional film titled Invitation to Gather, showcasing performers, sports groups and artists participating throughout the festival programme.

Groups featured in the production include Whacking Scotland, BAMILEK, Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland, Zenkai Judo Club and Barrowland Ballet.

Head of Public Engagement for Glasgow 2026, Chris Ansell, described the programme as an opportunity to create “an altogether brilliant experience” for both residents and visitors during the Games period.

Meanwhile, Susan Aitken said Glasgow was already “buzzing” ahead of the festival launch, describing the programme as a reflection of the city’s creativity, diversity and community spirit.

George Black added that the programme captures the “true community spirit of Glasgow,” with activities ranging from large-scale festivals to grassroots celebrations in schools, clubs and neighbourhood venues.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 to August 2, featuring 10 sports and six Para sports across multiple venues in the city. Organisers have confirmed that hundreds of thousands of tickets have already been sold following strong public demand.

The festival is being delivered by Glasgow Life in collaboration with Glasgow 2026, with support from Commonwealth Sport, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, Creative Scotland, VisitScotland and sportscotland.