Malta to Host the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games
Commonwealth Sport is delighted to announce that the 8th Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) will be hosted by Malta in late 2027.
The award reflects Commonwealth Sport’s commitment to taking the Youth Games to new countries and especially small and island nations. Malta’s compelling dual-island concept features existing world-class facilities, with venues in four main clusters across the islands of Malta and Gozo. Hotels will be used to create two Athlete Villages, one on each island.
The official launch took place at Verdala Palace in Buskett, Rabat on 31 July with the signing of the Host Collaboration Agreement in the presence of Malta’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Matthew Vella; the Minister of Sport, Hon. Minister Clifton Grima; Commonwealth Sport Malta President, Julian Pace Bonello; Malta Commonwealth Sport Secretary General, Kevin Azzopardi; Commonwealth Sport President, Dr. Donald Rukare; and Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir.
Malta 2027 will welcome approximately 1,150 athletes aged 14–18 from Commonwealth Sport’s 74 nations and territories. The Sport Programme will feature eight sports, with Sailing and Water Polo making their debut at a CYG, alongside Athletics and Para Athletics, Netball, Squash, Swimming and Para Swimming, Triathlon, and Weightlifting. The distinctive programme was designed to maximise local and Commonwealth youth appeal and utilise existing state-of-the-art venues.
Malta 2027 will have the largest Para sport programme at a CYG, with Para Swimming being added to the CYG programme for the first time, building on the landmark inclusion of Para Athletics at the last CYG in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.
