The countdown for the opening ceremony for the 2026 Commonwealth Games has begun.

The show kicks off at 8pm Glasgow time, however by 7.30pm (local time) the Hydro Stadium was still half empty. As the clock ticked down more spectators started to flood in and fill the stands, and the arena is approximately 90 per cent full.

The stage has a 360-degree design, so organisers can make full use of the stadium, however many of the seats on the upper levels are empty.

That hasn’t seemed to dull the excitement of the crowd who have already begun a self-led chant of* I’m Gonna be (500 miles). *

Earlier in the day, Glasgow Commonwealth Games CEO Phil Batty would not tell media how many tickets had been sold so far, only saying the team was “on track to meet their requirements”.

He also declined to explain how many free tickets had been given out to the public, but did say cycling had sold-out, while there were only a few tickets left for swimming.

“But we’ve also sold more tickets for netball than have ever been sold in Scotland in the history of time,” Batty said.