HRH King Charles, Sir Chris Hoy, KT Tunstall - Best moments from unique indoor Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
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Updated 24/07/2026 at 00:11 GMT+1
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The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are officially underway after HRH King Charles, with some help from Sir Chris Hoy, opened the festival of sport. It was an unprecedented event, the first Opening Ceremony in the history of the Games to be held indoors.
Watch: 'New experience' as King and Queen arrive at Glasgow 2026 in TARDIS
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Glasgow's Hydro, opened in time for the 2014 Games, was the venue for the sparkling spectacle, as all 74 nations were welcomed to the 23rd edition.
Stardust was sprinkled over proceedings right from the off before colour burst onto the stage with the parade of nations, expertly sound-tracked by atmospheric electro-folk band Valtos.
Perhaps paradoxically, despite the ground-breaking interior setting, the staging took on a distinctly exterior flavour, with a Scottish saltire garden dominating the centre of the arena for the athletes' welcome.
Each national delegation arrived with their own personalised baton, all carved from sustainably-sourced Glaswegian ash and inscribed with a single word that together carried a message of unity and inspiration.
Read on for all the highlights of an unforgettable Opening Ceremony, witnessed by some very special guests, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham and First Minister John Swinney.
Sir Chris Hoy arrives with royalty
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion and six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy kicked off proceedings with a Doctor Who-inspired narrative, inadvertently stealing the TARDIS from its Time Lord owner and using it to ferry HRH King Charles and HRH Queen Camilla to the Hydro.
Accompanied by a hilariously disgruntled Greg McHugh, the royal couple were transported inside the arena to make the most spectacular of entrances.
Team Scotland receive rapturous welcome
Valtos built their composition to a crashing crescendo, complete with a bagpipe backing, as Team Scotland rounded off the parade of nations.
Their entrance provoked the biggest cheer of the evening up until that point, excepting His Majesty's arrival, with an hour having elapsed since Botswana sauntered down the Celtic knot at the top of the set.
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'They will never forget' - Scotland enter Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to huge ovation
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Nessie steals the show
In the second half of the ceremony, the atmosphere inside the Hydro morphed from celebration to wonderment as the Loch Ness Monster - in digital and animatronic form - reared its mythical head.
Actor Sam Heughan, of Outlander fame, was there to greet her and introduce a simply spellbinding show.
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Nessie makes appearance as Flower of Scotland delights Glasgow 2026 fans
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Beattie brings the boogie
After a procession of movement and dance to celebrate the proud history of Glasgow, it would have been an oversight to omit a tribute to the city's world-famous nightlife.
A rip-roaring rendition of 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' from Musselburgh-born singer Callum Beattie threatened to take the roof of the Hydro midway through the ceremony.
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Beattie lights up Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony with 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'
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King delivers poignant plea on plastics
Those inside the arena were finally given a chance to get their breath back as HRH King Charles stepped up to the podium to formally open the 2026 Games.
His Majesty took the opportunity to highlight the scourge of plastic pollution in our waterways and oceans, urging every nation to come together to build a sustainable future.
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Watch as King Charles officially opens Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
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Tunstall turns up the noise
Bringing the curtain down on a formidable tour de force, Scottish singer KT Tunstall delivered several stone-cold classics, including 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree' and 'Suddenly I See'.
Full marks for getting the crowd involved during her version of 'Seven Nation Army' with a chant of 'No Scotland, No Party'. Thursday evening certainly showed that no one can throw a party like the Scots either.
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KT Tunstall wows Glasgow crowd in dazzling Opening Ceremony finale
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