The Victorian government has announced that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will not go ahead in regional Victoria and will be scrapped completely.

The government announced in 2022 that the Games would be hosted across regional Victorian centres, including Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton.

Vic Premier Daniel Andrews says the true cost was likely to be closer to $6 billion or $7 billion and the state simply could not afford it.

The premier has announced a $2 billion spending package for regional Victoria to make up for the loss of the Games, which was to act as a boost for facilities in the host centres.

The Victorian opposition has responded to the news, calling it a “massive humiliation” for the state.

The premier has been asked why the Games couldn’t have been held in Melbourne, rather than cancelled altogether?

He says the government has “looked at every option” but the state couldn’t afford it.

But just repeating the news that the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has scrapped plans for regional Victoria to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.