Teams from across the globe take to streets of Glasgow ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:05, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 18:11, 23 July 2026 Teams from around the world have taken to the streets of Glasgow for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The competitive sporting event kicked off on Thursday, with athletes spotted in hotels, restaurants and on city centre streets. Several teams proudly took to social media to mark their arrival in Glasgow, posting photos and videos of competitors exploring the city while wearing their country's uniform. Standing on a rooftop, England's Dame Laura Kenny said: 'I've just arrived in Glasgow and the excitement is really starting to build now.' The former cycling star, 34, added: 'I can't wait to watch Team England and all the incredible athletes in action.' Another video showed the team putting a cone on a mannequin's head to the Mission Impossible theme song, alongside the caption: 'Getting in the Glasgow spirit.' Meanwhile, Team Wales proudly held up their country's flag as they posed for photos within the city. They also shared footage of their athletes arriving at their hotels, with Welsh flags draped over the beds. View this post on Instagram Team Wales shared footage of their athletes arriving at their hotels in Glasgow, with Welsh flags draped over the beds Team Wales posted photos of teammates holding up their country's flag after arriving in Glasgow Australia's Paralympic swimmer Jenna Jones posted a snap showing a city street in Glasgow  Australia posted snaps of teammates walking around Glasgow, with one image by Paralympic swimmer Jenna Jones showing a city street. South African swimmer Jess Thompson also uploaded a series of snaps in Glasgow on her Instagram story, having previously shared an image of herself alongside the caption: 'See you soon Glasgow!!' Team Rwanda shared a picture of one of their swimmers diving into a pool in the city, alongside the caption: 'Following their arrival in Glasgow yesterday, Team Rwanda's swimming squad held a light recovery session to help the athletes readjust after travel and acclimatize to the local environment.' Teams have also been spotted speaking to excited locals and tourists as the Games kick off. As well as athletes, tens of thousands of visitors are set to descend on Glasgow over the next few days to watch the Games. The city last hosted the event in 2014, attracting around 690,000 visitors. This year, the Games will be hosted in four competition venues, within an eight-mile corridor of Glasgow. View this post on Instagram New Zealand posted a snap on their Instagram account, with the caption: 'Bowls are underway in Glasgow'  Team Wales pose for a group photo after arriving in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games  Team Rwanda shared a picture of one of their swimmers diving into a pool in the city It comes after Commonwealth Games bosses insisted ticket sales are on track to meet their expectations, amid fears grandstands could be left with empty seats. Tickets could still be bought for Thursday night's opening ceremony less than 12 hours before the grand event featuring the King at Glasgow's Hydro arena. And there were many other events which still had tickets available, with interest in this edition of the Games seemingly far below that experienced the last time the city held them in 2014.   Organisers will be hoping for a surge in demand following the televised opener, as they insisted there was a 'buzz' in the city. Phil Batty, chief executive of Glasgow 2026, said: 'Ticket sales for these Games are on track for the plan that we set out when we began preparing to host the Games.'