It might have only been a one-horse race but Victoria has won the right to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The wonderful news was confirmed today by the Commonwealth Games Federation. “The Commonwealth Games Federation is absolutely delighted to award the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Victoria,” Commonwealth Games president Dame Louise Martin said.

“Commonwealth Games Australia and the Victorian Government have set out a bold and innovative vision that provides an exciting new blueprint for hosting our major multi-sport event.”

It’s a history victory for Victoria too, as this is the first time the Commonwealth Games have been awarded to a state or region rather than a city in its 92-year history. The Games are set to be mainly held in Victoria’s regional areas as well. Melbourne famously held the event pretty recently, putting on a show back in 2006. It will be the sixth time the event has been held in Australia, with the Gold Coast the most recent location in 2018.

The Victorian government entered into an exclusive negotiation arrangement to host the Games in February. It was back then that the state’s Premier Daniel Andrews insisted the vision was to have the event take place predominantly in regional areas. “It’s about taking this amazing competition across many different sports into regional cities and downs to create jobs, tourism, visitors, economic activity, but also amazing legacy benefits,” he said.

“This exclusivity speaks to the fact that we are the sporting capital of our nation,” Andrews added. “We have all that is needed to make an event like this a fantastic success.”

So Geelong, Bendigo, Shepparton, and Ballarat, you probably should get ready for a party in four years’ time. What other regional Victoria spots do you think deserve to host some of the Games? With such a massive range of sports set to take place, there should be enough for the whole state to enjoy the occasion in 2026.

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