2018 Commonwealth Games - Wikipedia 2018 Commonwealth Games XXI Commonwealth Games Logo of 2018 Commonwealth Games Host city Gold Coast, Queensland Country Australia Motto Share the Dream Nations participating 71 Commonwealth Teams Athletes participating 4,426 Events 275 in 19 sports Opening ceremony 4 April Closing ceremony 15 April Officially opened by Charles, Prince of Wales Officially closed by Edward, Earl of Wessex Athlete 's Oath Karen Murphy Queen 's Baton Final Runner Sally Pearson Main venue Carrara Stadium Website GC2018.com < XX XXII > Part of a series on 2018 Commonwealth Games Bids Venues ( Athletes ' Village ) Concerns and controversies Queen 's Baton Relay Opening ceremony ( Parade of Nations ) Participating teams Medal table Chronological summary Closing ceremony Mascot CGF CGA The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport event achieved gender equality by having an equal number of events for males and female athletes. More than 4,400 athletes including 300 para-athletes from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations took part in the event. The Gambia which withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth of Nations and Commonwealth Games Federation in 2013, was readmitted on 31 March 2018 and participated in the event. With 275 sets of medals, the games featured 19 Commonwealth sports, including beach volleyball, para triathlon and women 's rugby sevens. These sporting events took place at 14 venues in the host city, two venues in Brisbane and one venue each in Cairns and Townsville. These were the first Commonwealth Games to take place under the Commonwealth Games Federation ( CGF ) presidency of Louise Martin, CBE. The host city Gold Coast was announced at the CGF General Assembly in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, on 11 November 2011. Gold Coast became the seventh Oceanian city and the first regional city to host the Commonwealth Games. These were the eighth games to be held in Oceania and the Southern Hemisphere. The host nation Australia topped the medal table for the fourth time in the past five Commonwealth Games, winning the most golds ( 80 ) and most medals overall ( 198 ). England and India finished second and third respectively. Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, British Virgin Islands and Dominica each won their first Commonwealth Games medals. Contents 1 Host selection 2 Administration 3 Preparation 3.1 Venues 3.1. 1 Venues in Gold Coast 3.1. 2 Venues outside Gold Coast 3.2 Financing 3.3 Medals 3.4 Athletes village 3.5 Queen 's baton relay 3.6 Transport 3.7 Anti-doping 4 Participating teams 4.1 Number of athletes by team 5 Calendar 6 Sports 7 Opening ceremony 7.1 Parade of Nations 8 Closing ceremony 9 Medal table 10 Broadcasting 11 Marketing 11.1 Motto 11.2 Emblem 11.3 Mascot 12 Concerns and controversies 12.1 Missing athletes 12.2 Criticism of the closing ceremony 13 See also 14 References 15 External links Host selection Main article : Bids for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Countdown clock at Surfers Paradise On 22 August 2008, the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, officially launched Gold Coast City 's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018. On 7 April 2009, the ABC reported a land exchange deal between Gold Coast City and State of Queensland for Carrara Stadium. According to Mayor Ron Clarke, the land would aid a potential bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The land exchanged would be used as the site of an aquatics centre. In the same article, Mayor Clarke raised the question of the Australian Federal Government 's commitment to a 2018 Commonwealth Games bid in light of the Government 's support for Australia 's 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals bid. On 16 April 2009, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters that a successful Commonwealth Games bid by Gold Coast City could help the tourist strip win a role in hosting the World Cup. `` Some of the infrastructure that would be built for the Commonwealth Games will be useful for Gold Coast City to get a World Cup game out of the soccer World Cup if we 're successful as a nation, '' she said. However the decision on the venues for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were made eleven months prior to the bid decision for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, so the potential World Cup venues had already been chosen. On 3 June 2009, Gold Coast City was confirmed as Australia 's exclusive bidder vying for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. `` Should a bid proceed, Gold Coast City will have the exclusive Australian rights to bid as host city for 2018, '' Bligh stated. `` Recently I met with the president and CEO of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and we agreed to commission a full and comprehensive feasibility study into the potential for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, '' she said. `` Under the stewardship of Queensland Events new chair, Geoff Dixon, that study is now well advanced. '' On 15 March 2010, it was announced that the Queensland Government will provide initial funding of A $11 million for the 2018 Commonwealth Games bid. The Premier of Queensland has indicated the Government 's support for the bid to the Australian Commonwealth Games Association. On 31 March 2010, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association officially launched the bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In October 2011, Gold Coast City Mayor Ron Clarke stated that the games would provide a strong legacy for the city after the games have ended. On 31 March 2010, a surprise bid was made for the 2018 Commonwealth Games by the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota. Hambantota was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and is undergoing a major face lift. The first phase of the Port of Hambantota is nearing completion and it is funded by the government of China. The Mattala International Airport, which is the second international Airport of Sri Lanka is built close to Hambantota. A new Hambantota International Cricket Stadium had also been built, which had hosted matches in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. On 10 November 2011, the Hambantota bidders claimed they had already secured enough votes to win the hosting rights. However, on 11 November it was officially announced Gold Coast City had won the rights to host the games. 2018 Commonwealth Games bidding results City Country Votes Gold Coast City Australia 43 Hambantota Sri Lanka 27 Administration The entire project was overseen by the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation ( GOLDOC ). In February 2012, Mark Peters was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Coast City 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. The Queensland Government Minister tasked with overseeing the Games was Kate Jones. Preparation Venues Main article : Venues of the 2018 Commonwealth Games One of the key technical aspects of Gold Coast City 's successful bid was the fact that the city had 80 percent of the planned venues in place before the bidding deadline. The vast majority of venues were located within 20 - minutes driving time of the Athletes Village in Parkwood. Venues in Gold Coast Carrara Stadium hosted the ceremonies and the athletics Carrara Stadium, located in the suburb of Carrara, was the main venue for Athletics, the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. The seating capacity of the stadium was temporarily increased to 40,000 for the games by the installation of a large temporary North Stand. Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted netball and the accredited media centre The Gold Coast City Convention and Exhibition Centre, located in the suburb of Broadbeach, hosted Basketball, Netball ( preliminaries ) and Weightlifting events, also serving as the Main Media Centre and International Broadcast centre hosting over 3000 members of the worlds press. The Broadbeach Bowls Club hosted the Bowls competition. The Hinze Dam, located in the suburb of Advancetown, was the location for the Mountain Bike competition. A new course was constructed to meet international competition requirements and temporary spectator seating for 2,000 spectators. The newly built Coomera Sport and Leisure Centre hosted Gymnastics and Netball ( finals ). The existing sound stages of the Village Roadshow Studios complex in the suburb of Oxenford hosted the sports of Boxing, Table Tennis and Squash. During Games mode the venue was enhanced to provide for the International Sporting Federation technical venue requirements and provide spectator seating of 3,000 ( boxing ) and 3,200 ( table tennis ). The Gold Coast Hockey Centre hosted the men 's and women 's Hockey events during the games. The Southport Broadwater Parklands hosted Triathlon and athletic events. The Optus aquatic centre hosted the swimming and diving events. Robina Stadium hosted the Rugby 7s competition and upgraded to meet World Rugby standards. The Elanora / Currumbin Valley area hosted the road racing elements of the cycling programme. Coolangatta Beachfront hosted the beach volleyball event. Venues outside Gold Coast Brisbane, along with the Gold Coast, forms part of the South East Queensland conurbation. Track Cycling was held at the Sleeman Sports Complex in the suburb of Chandler, where a new indoor cycling velodrome ( Anna Meares Velodrome ) was built. The Velodrome 's seat capacity was 4,000 during the games mode. The Shooting disciplines were held at the Belmont Shooting Centre. In Tropical North Queensland, the Cairns Convention Centre and Townsville Entertainment Centre hosted the preliminary rounds of both the men 's and women 's basketball competitions. Financing The Queensland state government spent A $ 1.5 billion ( US $ 1.2 billion ) to deliver the event. Out of this, A $ 550 million ( US $ 425 million ) were spent on the procurement programme. Procurement of the security and security infrastructure included contracts for four prime suppliers which delivered around 4,200 security guards. A $ 34 million ( US $ 26 million ) were spent on the deployment of the armed forces to provide rapid - response squads, bomb detectors, offshore patrols and surveillance. A $ 657 million ( US $ 509 million ) were spent for the construction of the venues and the Games Village. Medals At a charity gala held on 4 November 2017, the medals for the games were officially unveiled. Australian Indigenous artist Delvene Cockatoo - Collins designed the medals, while they were produced by the Royal Australian Mint. The design of the medals was inspired by the coastline of Gold Coast along with Indigenous culture. Furthermore, Cockatoo - Collins mentioned, `` the medal design represents soft sand lines which shift with every tide and wave, also symbolic of athletic achievement, The continual change of tide represents the evolution in athletes who are making their mark, Records are made and special moments of elation are celebrated ''. Approximately 1,500 medals were created to be distributed to the medallists and each measures approximately 63 millimetres in diameter. The medals weigh between 138 and 163 grams. Athletes Village 2018 Commonwealth Games Village The 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village was located on 59 hectares at Southport, Gold Coast. which provided accommodation and services to 6,600 athletes and officials in 1252 permanent dwellings. There are 1170 one and two bedroom apartments and 82 three bedroom townhouses which will serve as student accommodation to the nearby Griffith University. It offered services like laundry, refreshments and television and computer spaces and four residential pools. The village consisted a gym which was designed with guidance from the Australian Institute of Sport and equipment and the equipment were sponsored by Technogym. Adjoining the gym was the Athlete Recovery Area which provided services like plunge baths, including accessible baths, saunas, massage and consults from the Sports Medical personnel. The Main Dining served over 18,000 meals per day to the athletes during the games. The village also consisted of retail shops, Optus phone store, salon, bar and a games room which featured a number of arcade games, pool tables and game consoles. Queen 's Baton Relay Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Baton The Gold Coast 2018 Queen 's Baton Relay was launched on Commonwealth Day, 13 March 2017, on the historic forecourt at Buckingham Palace, signalling the official countdown to the start of the Games. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward The Earl of Wessex, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II heralded the start of the relay by placing her ' message to the Commonwealth and its athletes ' into the distinctive loop - design Queen 's Baton which then set off on its journey around the globe. It traveled for 388 days, spending time in every nation and territory of the Commonwealth. The Gold Coast 2018 Queen 's Baton Relay was the longest in Commonwealth Games history. Covering 230,000 km over 388 days, the baton made its way through the six Commonwealth regions of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania. The baton landed on Australian soil in December 2017 and then spent 100 days travelling through Australia, finishing its journey at the Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018, where the message was removed from the Baton and read aloud by Charles, Prince of Wales. Transport Gold Coast light rail During the games period, free public transportation within Queensland region was provided to ticket and accreditation holders. The free transportation services were available on local buses, train and Gold Coast light rail ( G : link ) services in Gold Coast and on TransLink and Qconnect bus services in Cairns and Townsville. The Gold Coast light rail system, connected a number of the key games venues including the Optus Aquatic Centre, Broadwater Parklands and the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre with the major accommodation centres of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach and the Athletes Village at Parklands. An extension to the system was announced in October 2015, connecting the then current terminus at Gold Coast University Hospital to the railway line to Brisbane at Helensvale. The extension opened in December 2017, in time for the games. Anti-doping The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority conducted an anti-doping drive in the months prior to the games, covering around 2500 tests of Australian athletes, as well as 500 tests against international athletes. Three Australians failed drug tests in this process, along with around 20 international athletes, subject to appeal. The Commonwealth Games Federation conducted in - competition testing and, matching protocol at the Olympic Games, launched a sample storage initiative to allow for future testing of samples up to ten years later, should detection technology improve. Participating teams There were 71 nations competing at 2018 Commonwealth Games. Maldives were scheduled to participate, but in October 2016 they withdrew from the Commonwealth. The Gambia returned to the Commonwealth Games after being readmitted as a Commonwealth Games Federation member on 31 March 2018. Nations expected to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Participating Commonwealth Games Associations : country name ( number of participants ) Anguilla ( 12 ) Antigua and Barbuda ( 17 ) Australia ( 469 ) ( hosts ) Bahamas ( 31 ) Bangladesh ( 23 ) Barbados ( 45 ) Belize ( 12 ) Bermuda ( 8 ) Botswana ( 26 ) British Virgin Islands ( 10 ) Brunei ( 8 ) Cameroon ( 40 ) Canada ( 282 ) Cayman Islands ( 21 ) Cook Islands ( 18 ) Cyprus ( 46 ) Dominica ( 13 ) England ( 390 ) Falkland Islands ( 15 ) Fiji ( 96 ) The Gambia ( 6 ) Ghana ( 71 ) Gibraltar ( 22 ) Grenada ( 14 ) Guernsey ( 31 ) Guyana ( 23 ) India ( 216 ) Isle of Man ( 31 ) Jamaica ( 106 ) Jersey ( 33 ) Kenya ( 136 ) Kiribati ( 14 ) Lesotho ( 20 ) Malawi ( 19 ) Malaysia ( 177 ) Malta ( 24 ) Mauritius ( 54 ) Montserrat ( 7 ) Mozambique ( 26 ) Namibia ( 28 ) Nauru ( 16 ) New Zealand ( 251 ) Nigeria ( 88 ) Niue ( 19 ) Norfolk Island ( 18 ) Northern Ireland ( 90 ) Pakistan ( 56 ) Papua New Guinea ( 56 ) Rwanda ( 17 ) Saint Helena ( 9 ) Saint Kitts and Nevis ( 7 ) Saint Lucia ( 13 ) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ( 20 ) Samoa ( 38 ) Scotland ( 226 ) Seychelles ( 25 ) Sierra Leone ( 24 ) Singapore ( 59 ) Solomon Islands ( 14 ) South Africa ( 194 ) Sri Lanka ( 79 ) Swaziland ( 10 ) Tanzania ( 15 ) Tonga ( 13 ) Trinidad and Tobago ( 51 ) Turks and Caicos Islands ( 7 ) Tuvalu ( 7 ) Uganda ( 69 ) Vanuatu ( 18 ) Wales ( 213 ) Zambia ( 36 ) Number of athletes by team CGF Code Country Athletes AUS Australia 469 ENG England 390 CAN Canada 282 NZL New Zealand 251 SCO Scotland 226 IND India 216 WAL Wales 213 RSA South Africa 194 MAS Malaysia 177 KEN Kenya 136 JAM Jamaica 106 FIJ Fiji 96 NIR Northern Ireland 90 NGR Nigeria 88 SRI Sri Lanka 79 GHA Ghana 71 UGA Uganda 69 SIN Singapore 59 PAK Pakistan 56 PNG Papua New Guinea MRI Mauritius 54 TTO Trinidad and Tobago 51 CYP Cyprus 46 BAR Barbados 45 CMR Cameroon 40 SAM Samoa 38 ZAM Zambia 36 JEY Jersey 33 BAH Bahamas 31 GGY Guernsey IOM Isle of Man NAM Namibia 28 BOT Botswana 26 MOZ Mozambique SEY Seychelles 25 MLT Malta 24 SLE Sierra Leone BAN Bangladesh 23 GUY Guyana GIB Gibraltar 22 CAY Cayman Islands 21 LES Lesotho 20 SVG Saint Vincent and the Grenadines MAW Malawi 19 NIU Niue COK Cook Islands 18 NFI Norfolk Island VAN Vanuatu ANT Antigua and Barbuda 17 RWA Rwanda NRU Nauru 16 FAI Falkland Islands 15 TAN Tanzania GRN Grenada 14 KIR Kiribati SOL Solomon Islands DMA Dominica 13 LCA Saint Lucia TGA Tonga AIA Anguilla 12 BIZ Belize IVB British Virgin Islands 10 SWZ Swaziland SHN Saint Helena 9 BER Bermuda 8 BRU Brunei MNT Montserrat 7 SKN Saint Kitts and Nevis TCA Turks and Caicos Islands TUV Tuvalu GAM The Gambia 6 Calendar OC Opening ceremony Event competitions Gold medal events CC Closing ceremony April Wed 5 Thu 6 Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9 Mon 10 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Fri 14 Sat 15 Sun Events Ceremonies OC CC N / A Aquatics Diving 10 Swimming 7 9 8 8 9 9 50 Athletics 5 6 8 7 10 9 9 58 Badminton 5 6 Basketball Beach volleyball Boxing 16 16 Cycling Mountain biking Road cycling Track cycling 6 6 20 Gymnastics Artistic 5 5 14 Rhythmic 6 Hockey Lawn bowls 10 Netball Powerlifting Rugby sevens Shooting 19 Squash 5 Table tennis 9 Triathlon 5 Weightlifting 16 Wrestling 12 Daily medal events 19 17 22 31 33 26 15 24 27 44 17 275 Cumulative total 19 36 58 89 122 148 163 187 214 258 275 April 4th Wed 5th Thu 6th Fri 7th Sat 8th Sun 9th Mon 10th Tue 11th Wed 12th Thu 13th Fri 14th Sat 15th Sun Total events Sports The regulations stated that from the 26 approved sports administered by Commonwealth Governing Bodies, a minimum of ten core sports and maximum of seventeen sports must be included in any Commonwealth Games schedule. The approved sports included the 10 core sports : athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, lawn bowls, netball ( for women ), rugby sevens, squash, swimming and weightlifting. Integrated disabled competitions were also scheduled for the Games in nine sports : swimming, athletics, cycling, table tennis, powerlifting and lawn bowls. Along with these events for the first time EAD events in triathlon were held, with the medals added to the final tally for each nation. A record 38 para events were contested at these games. On 8 March 2016, beach volleyball was announced as the 18th sport. The program was broadly similar to that of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, with the major changes being the dropping of judo, the reintroduction of basketball, the debut of women 's rugby sevens and beach volleyball. On 7 October 2016, it was announced seven new events for women were added to the sport program, meaning there are an equal number of events for men and women. This marks the first time in history that a major multi-sport event has equality in terms of events. In total 275 events in 18 sports are being contested. Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport. Aquatics Diving ( 10 ) ( details ) Swimming ( 50 ) ( details ) Athletics ( 58 ) ( details ) Badminton ( 6 ) ( details ) Basketball ( 2 ) ( details ) Beach volleyball ( 2 ) ( details ) Boxing ( 16 ) ( details ) Cycling ( details ) Mountain biking ( 2 ) Road ( 4 ) Track ( 20 ) Gymnastics ( details ) Artistic ( 14 ) Rhythmic ( 6 ) Hockey ( 2 ) ( details ) Lawn bowls ( 10 ) ( details ) Netball ( 1 ) ( details ) Rugby sevens ( 2 ) ( details ) Shooting ( 19 ) ( details ) Squash ( 5 ) ( details ) Table tennis ( 9 ) ( details ) Triathlon ( 5 ) ( details ) Weightlifting ( 16 ) ( details ) Powerlifting ( 4 ) ( details ) Wrestling ( 12 ) ( details ) Opening ceremony Main article : 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The opening ceremony was held at Carrara Stadium in the Gold Coast, Australia, between 20 : 00 and 22 : 40 AEST, on 4 April 2018. Tickets for the ceremony started at 100 Australian dollars with half price tickets available for children. The Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II, was represented by her son, Charles, Prince of Wales. Parade of nations Main article : 2018 Commonwealth Games Parade of Nations Following tradition, the host of the previous games, Scotland entered first, followed by the rest of the European countries competing. Following this, all countries paraded in alphabetical order from their respective regions. After the European countries entered, countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Caribbean, and lastly Oceania marched in. The host nation of Australia entered last. Each nation was preceded by a placard bearer carrying a sign with the country 's name. Closing ceremony Main article : 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony The closing ceremony was held at Carrara Stadium on Sunday 15th April and was produced by Jack Morton Worldwide at a cost of AU $30 million. Australian pop stars Guy Sebastian, Samantha Jade, Dami Im and The Veronicas were among the performers along with children 's entertainers, The Wiggles. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, declared the Games closed and passed the Commonwealth Games flag to Birmingham, England which will host the 2022 Games. Medal table Main article : 2018 Commonwealth Games medal table Only the top ten successful nations are displayed here. The ranking in this table is consistent with International Olympic Committee convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won ( in this context, a `` nation '' is an entity represented by a Commonwealth Games Association ). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by their three - letter country code. Australia tops the medal table rank with 80 gold, second England with 45 gold and third India with 26 gold. Key * Host nation ( Australia ) 2018 Commonwealth Games medal table Rank CGA Gold Silver Bronze Total Australia ( AUS ) * 80 59 59 198 England ( ENG ) 45 45 46 136 India ( IND ) 26 20 20 66 Canada ( CAN ) 15 40 27 82 5 New Zealand ( NZL ) 15 16 15 46 6 South Africa ( RSA ) 13 11 13 37 7 Wales ( WAL ) 10 12 14 36 8 Scotland ( SCO ) 9 13 22 44 9 Nigeria ( NGR ) 9 9 6 24 10 Cyprus ( CYP ) 8 5 14 Total ( 43 CGAs ) 275 276 289 840 Broadcasting In Australia, the games were broadcast live on three Seven Network channels - 7HD, 7TWO and 7Mate. In the United Kingdom, BBC provided Commonwealth Games coverage of more than 200 hours across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button, BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer and BBC radio. TVNZ channel broadcast the games for the viewers in New Zealand. Astro Arena provided the games coverage for the Malaysian viewers. ESPN provided the games coverage for viewers in the USA. Sony Pictures Networks India broadcast the games for the viewers in India on three channels - Sony Six, Sony Ten 2 in English and Sony Ten 3 in Hindi. Marketing Borobi, the mascot of the 2018 Commonwealth Games Motto The official motto for the 2018 Commonwealth Games was `` Share the Dream ''. It was chosen to highlight the dreams and experience at the games that were shared by participants of the games, ranging from athletes to volunteers and the host country Australia to the world including the Commonwealth nations. Emblem The emblem was launched on 4 April 2013, which marked exactly five years until its opening ceremony. It was unveiled at the Southport Broadwater Parklands. It was designed by the New South Wales based brand consultancy WiteKite. The emblem of the 2018 Commonwealth Games was a silhouette of the skyline and landscape of Gold Coast, the host city of the games. Nigel Chamier OAM, who served as the Chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation till the end of the games, said that it was the result of months of market research. Mascot Main article : Borobi ( mascot ) Borobi was named as the mascot of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 2016. Borobi is a blue koala, with indigenous markings on its body. The term `` borobi '' means koala in the Yugambeh language, spoken by the indigenous Yugambeh people of the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. Concerns and controversies Missing athletes At least 13 athletes from four countries - Cameroon, Uganda, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone - absconded during or immediately after the Games. Some missed their competitions. Athletes regularly abscond during major sporting events, and many subsequently claim asylum in their host countries. Most hold nationalities that are deemed high - risk by immigration authorities and find it impossible to get visas outside of exceptional events, such as major games. A month after the games ended, officals estimated that fifty athletes had remained in Australia illegally, with another 200 staying in the country on visas. Criticism of the closing ceremony The organising committee decided to bring in the athletes before the start of the closing ceremony. This caused an uproar on social media as, contrary to public expectations, none of the athletes were shown entering the stadium during the ceremony. Broadcast rights holders Channel 7 complained on air about the decision and concluded that, `` it has n't really lived up to expectations ''. Many spectators and athletes left during the ceremony, resulting in a half - empty stadium for much of the event. Following this, the ABC claimed that Channel 7 was briefed on the closing ceremony schedule, a claim which Channel 7 later refuted. 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Jump up ^ `` BBC - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on the BBC - Media Centre ''. www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ `` TVNZ announces Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games coverage New Zealand Olympic Team ''. New Zealand Olympic Team. 2018 - 03 - 01. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ Astro.com.my. `` Get your GC2018 Season Pass and Cheer for Malaysian Athletes at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Press Release Mediaroom Astro ''. www.astro.com.my. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ `` ESPN acquires Commonwealth Games rights in USA for first time in 2018 Featured News News Sportcal ''. www.sportcal.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ Hawkes, Rebecca. `` SPN India gears up for Commonwealth Games coverage Programming News Rapid TV News ''. www.rapidtvnews.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ `` The Games ''. Jump up ^ `` Emblem unveiled for 2018 Commonwealth Games ''. 2013 - 04 - 04. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Gold Coast Games logo unveiled - Mumbrella ''. Mumbrella. 2013 - 04 - 04. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Emblem ''. Jump up ^ `` Commonwealth Games emblem revealed ''. Brisbane Times. 2013 - 04 - 03. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 25. Jump up ^ Larkins, Damien ( 3 April 2016 ). `` Blue koala Borobi revealed as mascot for 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ''. ABC News ( Australia ). Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2017. Jump up ^ `` Still no sign of missing African Commonwealth Games athletes ''. NewsComAu. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ Doherty, Ben ( 2018 - 04 - 11 ). `` Cameroon athletes missing from Commonwealth Games ''. the Guardian. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Commonwealth Games : Fifty athletes in Australia ' illegally ' ''. BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` Almost 200 Commonwealth Games athletes and officials seek asylum in Australia ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` Commonwealth Games closing ceremony slammed on social media as Channel Seven hosts open fire ''. Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC ). Sydney, Australia. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Seven was briefed on closing ceremony ''. ABC News. 2018 - 04 - 16. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 17. Jump up ^ Cunningham, Melissa ( 2018 - 04 - 16 ). `` Griggs hits back at claims Channel Seven knew plan to snub athletes ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 17. External links Gold Coast 2018 official website Embracing 2018 official website Official results Preceded by Glasgow Commonwealth Games Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games ( 2018 ) Succeeded by Birmingham Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games Federation Participating Nations Commonwealth Day Inter-Empire Championships Queen 's Baton Relay Medal Table Sports Records Games 1930 Hamilton 1934 London 1938 Sydney 1950 Auckland 1954 Vancouver 1958 Cardiff 1962 Perth 1966 Kingston 1970 Edinburgh 1974 Christchurch 1978 Edmonton 1982 Brisbane 1986 Edinburgh 1990 Auckland 1994 Victoria 1998 Kuala Lumpur 2002 Manchester 2006 Melbourne 2010 Delhi 2014 Glasgow 2018 Gold Coast 2022 Birmingham 2026 TBA Commonwealth Youth Games Commonwealth Winter Games Commonwealth Paraplegic Games ← 2018 in Australia → Governor - General -- Sir Peter Cosgrove Prime Minister -- Malcolm Turnbull Chief Justice -- Susan Kiefel Politics and elections Incumbents National Party of Australia leadership election South Australian state election Tasmanian state election Batman by - election Cottesloe state by - election Perth by - election Victorian state election People and culture Deaths Television Film Honours Australia Day Honours Special Honours Sports competitions Commonwealth Games Australian Open Cricket team in South Africa ball - tampering scandal Australia at multi-sport events Commonwealth Games Winter Olympics Winter Paralympics Summer Youth Olympics Big Bash League Women 's Australian Grand Prix Establishments and developments Australian Cycling Academy -- Ride Sunshine Coast Australian Space Agency The Bend Motorsport Park Electoral district of Badcoe Electoral district of Black Electoral district of Gibson Marshall Ministry Melbourne 400 NRL Touch Premiership NRL Women 's The Bend SuperSprint World Series Rugby Disasters Cyclone Kelvin Broome flood Cyclone Marcus Bushfire season Tathra bushfire 2018 in Australia Commonwealth Games portal 2010s portal Queensland portal Australia portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018_Commonwealth_Games&oldid=842803100 '' Categories : Commonwealth Games 2018 Commonwealth Games 2018 in multi-sport events Sports competitions on the Gold Coast, Queensland Commonwealth Games in Australia 2018 in Australian sport April 2018 sports events in Oceania Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2018 Use Australian English from April 2012 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English Use dmy dates from February 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Cymraeg Deutsch Español Français Gaeilge 한국어 हिन्दी Italiano עברית मराठी Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский සිංහල Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు Українська اردو 吴语 中文 18 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 May 2018, at 19 : 20. 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Question: where are this year's commonwealth games being held
Answer: the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia