Commonwealth Games 2026 End with Closing Ceremony

Performers take part in the closing ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at The Hydro in Glasgow on Sunday night. Photo: Collected

The 2026 Commonwealth Games officially came to a close on Sunday night with a colourful closing ceremony at The Hydro, bringing an end to nearly two weeks of competition.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, formally declared the Games closed before Scottish rock band Simple Minds concluded the ceremony with their hit song Don't You (Forget About Me) as white confetti filled the arena.

For Team South Africa, the Games ended with a total haul of 28 medals, one more than the team won at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, finishing 11th in the overall medal standings.

Para-athletics silver medallist Masala Makatu carried the South African flag during the closing ceremony. The 20-year-old secured silver in the men's T12 100 metres, becoming the country's first athletics medallist at the Games.

On the final day of competition, cyclist Mitchell Sparrow finished 16th in the men's 1,000m time trial with a time of 62.482 seconds, while S'annara Grove placed 22nd in the women's elimination race.

South Africa's medal tally included 22 medals in swimming and para swimming, four in athletics and para athletics, and two in judo, earned by a squad of 112 athletes competing across 10 sports.

The closing ceremony marked the end of another successful edition of the Commonwealth Games, celebrating sporting excellence and unity among athletes from across the Commonwealth.