Games budget of £150m is 'direct investment into city'

The Herald Scotland

28-07-2025

Here, he outlines the passion and purpose behind the games in our Q&A.
Name: Phil Batty OBE
What is your business called? Glasgow 2026
Where is it based? Glasgow, Scotland
What does it do?
Next year, the Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow and it's great to be back. Taking place from July 23 to August 2, the Games will feature 10 sports, six para sports, with over 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories set to compete.
Led by Chair George Black CBE, an independent Board and Chief Executive Officer, and myself, Glasgow 2026 Limited is the Organising Company (OC) which will deliver the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer.
Agile, innovative and embracing a new delivery model, the OC is working in partnership with Commonwealth Sport and Commonwealth Games Scotland to stage the Games. The company, based in the city centre, will directly employ around 160 people and, at its heart, is a team of specialists with world-leading major event experience and sporting expertise, coupled with in-depth city knowledge. The OC will work with an ecosystem of experienced suppliers to deliver the Games safely and in record time.
The OC is privately funded, securing its income through Commonwealth Sport, corporate sponsorship, broadcast rights, global partnerships and ticket sales.
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To whom does it sell?
Building on the success of 2014, Glasgow 2026 is set to reimagine the Games you know and love – with a different, and altogether unique, 'Clyde-built' experience that embodies the city's vibrant spirit, ingenuity and passion.
A new model that combines world-class sport with a future-focused, sustainable, accessible and inclusive vision, setting a new standard for major sporting events – flexible and forward-thinking, whilst deeply connected to the place and the people hosting. ​
Glasgow 2026 will bring fans closer to the action – immersing athletes, spectators and locals in the city, the competition and the celebrations. Maximising economic and social benefits to create a new legacy for both Glasgow and the Commonwealth. ​
There will be 500,000 tickets available, which will go on sale later this year. We will also start recruitment for more than 3,000 Games volunteers in September.
As an OC our role is to create an electric atmosphere across four sports venues packed with athletes and spectators, of sporting fans and new Games audiences, to secure public support for the Games through inspiring engagement programmes, powered by the people who make Glasgow, and to showcase a city that is connected, energised and ready to gather the world.
What is its turnover? The OC is privately funded, securing our income through Commonwealth Sport, corporate sponsorship, broadcast rights, global partnerships and ticket sales. Our budget for the delivery of the Games is projected to be £150 million which is direct investment into the city of Glasgow.
How many employees? We currently employ 68 people in our city centre office on Bothwell Street. We will grow to nearly 200 employees and then will be joined by a workforce of thousands for Games time.
Why did you take the plunge? We are building on the huge success of Glasgow's time hosting the Games in 2014. I was fortunate to be part of the organisation responsible for organising the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and when I heard the news that the Games were coming back to the UK, I just had to be part of it.
Having seen first-hand the powerful role of sport in bringing communities together and strengthening international collaboration across the Commonwealth, I saw this as an incredible opportunity to get involved. Glasgow is world-leading the major events industry and I was excited to learn from all that experience and become part of an incredible moment for Scotland.
What were you doing before? Following my time in Birmingham, I joined a pioneering drone light show company called SKYMAGIC. We staged spectacular aerial displays all over the world. My career has always been in major events, from the UK City of Culture project in Hull to being part of the Women of the World festivals movement. This is a hugely inspiring industry, where no two days are the same and nothing is impossible.
What do you least enjoy? Major events only happen every few years, so in this role you have to be open-minded to adapting and turning your hand to a wide range of events. Each project is unique and there are different challenges to be tackled. I am lucky to be working on my second Commonwealth Games, which is allowing me to apply the learning from Birmingham to the project this time around.
What are your ambitions for the firm? I am keen to create an Organising Company that is inclusive, prioritises sustainability and that also can work at incredible pace to deliver this large-scale event. My ambition is to do the city of Glasgow and the people of Scotland proud in staging a Commonwealth Games that everyone can be a part of.
What single thing would most help? Major events can only be delivered in partnership. We are already working with incredible venues run by the SEC and Glasgow Life, we have incredible suppliers, but we will always need more partners. Whether that is to deliver the Games or to sponsor and support the project.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? That nothing is impossible with the right people around you. Hire a team of individuals who challenge you to think differently, who are brave enough to solve the difficult tasks and who you enjoy working with. Work should interrupt play and play should interrupt work. We are part of major events because they are fun, they make us smile and we have a great time doing it.
What was your best moment? Seeing Ozzy Osbourne perform in his hometown at the Closing Ceremony of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was a hugely inspirational moment. The sadness of hearing of his passing last week reminded me of the huge joy and passion he brought to thousands of people that night and the millions watching across the world. It is moments like this that live on in your memory, and events have the power to create those magical moments.
What was your worst moment? For a show last January, I had to shut down an international airport runway in the early hours of the morning to create an aerial display with 1,750 drones. Being stood on the tarmac with planes moving around me, in the dead night, having to navigate global air traffic was terrifying. However, we had faith and worked with all our partners and minutes later we had the runway clear and a show in the air.
How do you relax? I enjoy going to discover new places in a city, from the bars and restaurants to the galleries and parks. The world is full of hidden gems, and I enjoy the adventure of finding something new.