Commonwealth Games recap: Disco unicorns, iconic royal arrivals headline opening ceremony

Thank you for joining us this morning for the nine.com.au live blog of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony for 2026 in Glasgow.

We hope you enjoyed all the insights and anecdotes from across entertainment, royals and sport.

Now, our athletes in Scotland head to bed and will be back in action tomorrow (local time). For us, that means our next live blog with nine.com.au will be just around the corner at 5pm AEST today to get the action started.

Yes, yes, the athletes and performers were the stars of the show, but can we talk style for a moment?

As the teams arrived at the Hydro in their ceremonial uniforms, we couldn’t help but admire the display of athleisure – with some designs particularly catching the eye.

Without further ado:

Australia

A moment on the world stage for R.M. Williams! Our athletes are decked out in boots and matching belts from the iconic brand, teaming them with green blazers, white shirts and beige chinos and skirts.

Could this prompt a new era for the R.M. Williams boot, taking it from beloved shoe of inner-city med students (who’ve never set foot on a dirt road) to athleisure staple? Time will tell.

Lesotho

Team Lesotho’s tracksuits are a gorgeous, eye-catching shade of blue, but the real star of the show is the green tartan berets, a stylish nod to Scotland.

Namibia

Team Namibia also brought a bolt of colour to the stadium, their blue uniforms bearing yellow motifs echoed in their bucket hats.

Antigua and Barbuda

What’s blue, black and red all over?

OK, so it’s not quite how the old joke goes, but there’s no denying the visual appeal of Antigua and Barbuda’s uniform.

England

Anyone else got a sudden craving for strawberries and cream? Team England’s ombre tracksuits, in the shades of Wimbledon’s most famous courtside treat (and, yes, the national flag), are making us hungry.

India

Team India looked seriously elegant in their ceremonial uniforms, comprising dark blue blazers and trousers and skirts with gold trims and buttons.

After received the 74th baton, King Charles moves to address the crowd and officially declare the Games open.

“Let us build a harmonious and durable future for our families and each other,” he said in front of the royal box.

“It is now my great pleasure to declare the 23rd Commonwealth Games open.”

Have a look at some of our Aussie athletes out on social media!

Exploding back onto the scene with boundless energy, KT Tunstall immediately got the entire crowd clapping and singing along to every word.

She launched straight into her iconic hit Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, driving the beat forward with her signature stomp-box rhythm and powerhouse vocals.

In a brilliant impromptu moment, she pulls out her harmonica, kicking off a catchy little tune, and teaching all the non-Scots No Scotland, No Party! Not that we didn’t already know the words!

Then comes the moment everyone has been waiting for as she breaks into her timeless mega-hit, Suddenly I See.

Hard to believe it’s been 21 years since the track first swept the globe - yet every single person in the stadium is singing along like it came out yesterday.

In a complete change of pace, Nina Nesbitt delivers a slow, beautiful reimagination of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

Backed by the soft hums of a choir, her gentle vocals turn the famous anthem into a deeply moving moment for the baton handover.

It was a quiet moment of magic that left the entire arena completely spellbound before King Charles III addressed the stadium.

One does not simply meet a member of the royal family – in official capacities, the encounter comes with all kinds of rules, from what to call them to how to greet them.

(No, chest bumps don’t make the cut.)

Evidently, these protocols apply to mythical creatures, not just us mere mortals.

Before the opening ceremony kicked off, King Charles had the pleasure of meeting the 2026 Commonwealth Games mascot, Finnie – a unicorn – at a reception.

Photos show the mascot politely curtseying to the monarch, though at first glance you wouldn’t know given she’s still taller than Charles even on bent knee.

I’ll be honest, this has me crying laughing!

Rory Scott, one of Australia’s weightlifters, stopped to take a selfie with the royal box. You canjust about see King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward and the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, behind him.

The stressed workers behind, trying to shuffle Scott in a timely manner are the best part of the picture - props to you Rory!

He originally posted the selfie on his Instagram story with the message, ‘Me and da King’.

Emerging from a sea of dancing, disco pink unicorns, Scottish chart-topper Callum Beattie takes centre stage in what feels like a neon-fuelled fever dream.

Surrounding him, are a troupe of dancers each honouring traditional dance styles from nations right across the Commonwealth.

I know unicorns is a bit wild, but this year’s Commonwealth Games mascot is a unicorn named Finnie.

The unicorn is Scotland’s national animal and Finnie was designed by Glasgow schoolkids!

The arrival of the King and Queen in Doctor Who’s TARDIS earlier in the ceremony might have given some viewers a touch of déjà vu.

It’s not the first time a monarch has made a pop culture-themed entrance at an Opening Ceremony. In 2012, the late Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the opening of the London Olympics with the help of James Bond.

The Queen teamed up with actor Daniel Craig for the skit, in which the iconic secret agent ‘collected’ her from Buckingham Palace – to the delight of fans, she greeted Craig with, “Good evening, Mr Bond” –  before escorting her into a helicopter. The pair then ‘parachuted’ into the stadium.

Of course, the skit was pre-recorded and Her Majesty simply strolled in to the ceremony, but it was a lot of fun.

Charles and Camilla’s big entrance involved a similar skit, with a clip showing a shadowy pair ‘boarding’ the TARDIS at the royals’ Scottish residence, Balmoral, on its whirlwind trip to Glasgow. As it materialised on stage, the King and Queen stepped out to cheers.