Building a Games legacy…again

Alex Johnston

Glasgow 2026 Legacy Manager

Commonwealth Sport

At the time of writing its 55 days to go until the Commonwealth Games returns to Glasgow. As someone who was involved in legacy building in the Games the last time they were here, it's still hard to believe the nations and territories of the Commonwealth are coming back to my home city. On the 23rd July 2026 the 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth will return to Glasgow for 11 days of sport in 4 iconic venues. This is a different version of the Games, reimagined even. Privately funded using existing venues, smaller in scale and planned over a much shorter period of time.

What does this mean for legacy? I've been involved in legacy work since London 2012 including Glasgow 2014 and most major events and commemorations since. My role is to think beyond the Games and beyond sport. To work with others to use the Games to bring about positive change for people and places across Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth. To work collaboratively with others to ensure the short and long terms benefits from the Games are fully realised and sustained.

In many ways Glasgow 2026 is a legacy of 2014. That joyful experience 12 years ago still lives long in the hearts and memories of Glaswegians. It's why Glasgow took the bold decision almost 2 years ago to step up and host the Games again. That goodwill means I've been pushing on open doors as I engage others to help build a reimagined version of legacy. It's reflected in the many wonderful and creative legacy ideas brought to the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company and the positive engagement of schools, community groups, national agencies, universities, funders, government and businesses.

Ideas like using the Games to amplify the work of the Movement for Health coalition and throwing the weight of the Games behind their amazing Together We Move campaign in the lead up to Scotland’s National Day of Movement on the 18th June 2026. I'm looking forward to celebrating Scotland's movers and shakers and creating a legacy of movement. Building legacy is a collective art form and I'm so grateful to be working with the University of the West of Scotland as part of their Glasgow Legacy Network. The network is a forum for organisations to connect, share and collaborate. It is only by working collectively and respectively, and often creatively, can we build a meaningful legacy which extends beyond the Games. I feel so lucky to be part of it again and look forward to making new Games memories and building a legacy we can all be proud of.

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