King’s Baton Relay – FAQs
When will the King’s Baton Relay activity be taking place in Scotland?
Scotland’s KBR activity will kick-off on Wednesday 1st July, with a packed schedule across the month leading up to the Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony on Thursday 23rd July.
What activity will take place?
The Baton Relay in Scotland has been reimagined for 2026, and will closely align with the activity currently taking place across the Commonwealth.
Each day the Baton will travel to events across the country to add to the celebrations and activity in the build-up to the Games.
Community groups and event organisers can nominate their event or activity to host the baton through Glasgow 2026’s All In programme: simply register your event details and tick the box at the bottom to share your details with us.
Our delivery team will be reviewing the submissions and selecting a range of events to attend, and will be in touch with event organisers by April at the latest.
Please note we do not anticipate the Baton being carried by Batonbearers through closed roads and streets, unless this is part of the activity planned by the event organiser.
What sort of events are we looking for?
We’re after all suggestions, the more creative the better! Events would ideally incorporate at least one of the themes of sport and the Commonwealth.
We’re keen to get out the length and breadth of the country, and encourage nominations from all parts Scotland. We won’t be able to visit everywhere, but aim to spread far and wide to bring the Games to as wide an audience as possible.
From small gatherings to large festivals, we’re open to all suggestions!
We’ll also be incorporating plastic and litter collections around Scottish waterways as part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, so are keen to hear from organisations who can support with such activities.
Where do I register my event?
If my event is selected what would the Baton activity look like?
We will work with the events selected to attend to incorporate the Baton within their planned activity. This may involve having it being brought in by selected Batonbearers and put on display for all event attendees to hold and get their photos with the Baton.
We will also bring the necessary equipment to display the Baton (stand, backdrop etc), and have content creators on hand to capture imagery from the event, which will be free for your use.
We may also be able to support with current/former athlete attendance, or a visit from Finnie, subject to availability.
Please note we are unable to provide funding to support event delivery.
Where will the Baton go?
We want to reach the length and breadth of the country with our activity.
Unlike previous baton relay activities, we will not be travelling on a continuous route around the country. Instead the delivery team will be adopting a hub and spoke model, with a base in Glasgow and travelling across the country from there.
This should provide greater flexibility to incorporate events into our programme.
The KBR takes place during the school holidays – how can schools engage with the KBR before then?
Glasgow 2026 will be releasing more information on the coming weeks on how schools in Glasgow and beyond can incorporate baton activity into school activity.
How will Batonbearers be selected?
We will not be running a Batonbearer nominations process. Instead we will work with the events selected to attend to identify worthy community heroes in their area that merit that recognition.
We will also be celebrating the achievements of Team Scotland athletes past and present and other notable Scottish and Commonwealth figures.
What is different about the Baton for Glasgow 2026?
For the first time ever, every Commonwealth nation and territory will receive their own Baton for their celebrations and have been asked to customise and decorate this Baton to represent their culture.
All 74 Batons will be reunited at the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2026, where the Scotland Baton will be presented to His Majesty and the message read aloud to declare the Games open.
Inspired by the three Commonwealth Sport values – Humanity, Equality, Destiny – three interlocking pieces of sustainably sourced ash (a hardwood from Scotland) come together to create the Baton’s form. The negative spaces where the three pieces come together are a strong design feature – representing Commonwealth connections.
In a break with recent tradition and like the first ever Queen’s Baton Relay in Cardiff in 1958, the Baton takes more of a traditional baton shape. It is simple and sustainable – with no complex electronics or chambers, and is a blank canvas, enabling the final design of each Baton to be crafted by the nation or territory it belongs to.
The Scotland Baton will contain a chamber for the King’s Message. The King placed His Message into the Baton on 10th March 2025 when he launched the King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace. This Baton contains a cork chamber closure, emblazoned with a Saltire of wood, which will keep The Message safe and hidden until it is retrieved in July 2026.
Each of the other Batons has one single word from The King’s Message engraved onto it, taking the message far and wide across the Commonwealth until the full message is reunited at the Opening Ceremony for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
What is the word on Scotland’s Baton?
The word on Scotland’s Baton is ‘gather’. Our Baton design and activities will be inspired by this.
How will the Baton be decorated?
We have launched an open call for artists to express interest in decorating the Baton. More information can be found HERE
Who designed the Baton?
The Baton has been specially designed, engineered and handmade in Glasgow by skilled makers from a social enterprise named Galgael and master craftsman Tim Norman. The Baton design celebrates the beauty of local natural, sustainable materials and creates a beautiful blank canvas for customisation.
What is the King’s Baton Relay?
The King’s Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates, embraces and connects communities across the Commonwealth, as the countdown to the Commonwealth Games
It’s an epic journey across the world, with Batons visiting all 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, reaching the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Europe. A Baton will be created for each nation and territory, for them to customise and decorate with their culture and creativity.
The Batons each carry part of a message from His Majesty King Charles III to the Commonwealth and its athletes.
When did the King’s Baton Relay begin?
The Relay began on 10 March 2025 at Buckingham Palace, where His Majesty King Charles III, as Head of the Commonwealth, placed His Message to the Commonwealth into the first Baton.
How long does the King’s Baton Relay last?
The Relay will last for 500 days. It began on 10 March 2025 and ends at the Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony on 23 July 2026.
Where does the King’s Baton travel?
The Relay will travel to every corner of the Commonwealth, visiting all 74 nations and territories on the journey to the Commonwealth Games.
Who is coordinating the KBR activity in Scotland?
As host Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games Scotland have the responsibility for coordinating activity involving the baton.
We will be working in collaboration with a host of partner organisations, including Glasgow 2026, Commonwealth Sport, Scottish Government, sportscotland, Police Scotland and the Royal Commonwealth Society.