Victoria withdraws from hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games

Regional Victoria set to host Commonwealth Games

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are in doubt after the Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plans to host due to budget blowouts.

The Victorian government announced on Monday that it would no longer host the event, which was due to be held in the regional city of Ballarat.

The decision comes after a review of the project found that the costs had blown out to $7 billion.

The Victorian government said it was "deeply disappointed" to have to cancel the event, but said it could not justify the cost to taxpayers.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said it was "disappointed" by the decision, but understood the reasons behind it.

The CGF said it would now explore other options for hosting the 2026 Games.

The decision is a blow to Victoria, which was hoping to use the Games to boost its economy.

It is also a blow to the Commonwealth Games, which are a major sporting event held every four years.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were due to be the first to be held in Australia since 2006.