Caribbean kicks off King’s Baton Relay for 2026 Commonwealth Games

The first leg of the King’s Baton Relay for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is set to take place in the Caribbean.

This is a historic achievement for the Caribbean as the relay typically begins in Africa.

King Charles III launched the inaugural baton yesterday during Commonwealth Day celebrations at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

He placed a message into the first baton, which was passed onto Scottish cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, to start the relay with 500 days to go to the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2026.

Trinidad and Tobago will host the first leg of the relay from March 11 to 16.

This year’s baton relay will be a bit different from the past as for the first time ever, each of the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories will receive their own baton which was crafted in Glasgow, Scotland.

Commonwealth Sport said this will allow Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to decorate their batons to showcase their own culture, creativity and vision.

“Batons can be painted, carved, or crafted – by artists, athletes or schools – and as simple or sophisticated as they choose. The distribution of Batons means there will be no formal Baton handovers or costly or polluting travel and transit between nations and territories,” Commonwealth Sport wrote.

Commonwealth Sport said Trinidad and Tobago, which hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, will showcase some of the legacy from hosting The Games during their Relay activities.

Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association (TTCGA) President Diane Henderson said: “We are thrilled to commence the Caribbean Baton Relay celebrations, allowing us to showcase our youth legacies following the Commonwealth Youth Games Trinbago2023. We are also excited for the opportunity this gives us in sharing our plastic campaign for clean beaches and oceans, while being able to decorate the Baton gives us the freedom to creatively highlight our Trinidad and Tobago heritage.’’

Trinidad and Tobago’s baton design was conceptualised and created by renowned Creative/Art Director, Kenneth Henry.

The TTCGA said the design features stylized graphic illustrations that symbolize the journey of the Baton as it travels between the islands, touching the many resilient and beautiful facets of Trinidad and Tobago.

The artwork was brought to life by Artist Michael Phillips, a former three-time Commonwealth Games cyclist for TeamTTO.

Phillips, who participated in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 Commonwealth Games and proudly served as flag bearer for the 1998 Games, is also an exhibiting artist.

The Queen's Baton Relay will travel through the following nations and territories on these dates: Trinidad and Tobago (Tuesday 11 March to Sunday 16 March), St Kitts and Nevis (Monday 17 March to Saturday 22 March), St Lucia (Sunday 23 March to Friday 28 March), Barbados (Saturday 29 March to Thursday 3 April), Grenada (Friday 4 April to Wednesday 9 April), Dominica (Thursday 10 April to Tuesday 15 April), Antigua and Barbuda (Tuesday 22 April to Sunday 27 April), Montserrat (Sunday 4 May to Friday 9 May), Anguilla (Saturday 10 May to Thursday 15 May), British Virgin Islands (Friday 16 May to Wednesday 21 May), Jamaica (Thursday 22 May to Tuesday 27 May), Cayman Islands (Wednesday 28 May to Monday 2 June), Turks & Caicos (Tuesday 3 June to Sunday 8 June), and St Vincent and the Grenadines (Monday 9 June to Saturday 14 June).

The relay moves to Africa (15 June to 24 October), Asia (25 October to 21 December), Oceania (2 January to 26 March 2026), Americas (27 March to 6 May 2026), and Europe (8 May to 23 July 2026).