By: Joanna Guelas/AAP

The 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games is now officially open, with 215 gold medals up for grabs across 10 sports in a pared-back program, for 74 competing countries.

Tonga and teams from other Pacific Islands countries, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Nauru and Vanuatu, entered the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, last night

King Charles III arrived in Glasgow via time machine to help open the Commonwealth Games.

Traffic cones galore, dancing unicorns, the Loch Ness monster and King Charles arriving via the Tardis.

But the vibrant two-hour party was far from pared back.

And at a time when people have questioned the relevance of the Games after the Victorian government's (Australia) shock withdrawal as hosts in 2023, the ceremony on Friday morning (AEST) made the argument for with a modern "love letter to the Commonwealth".

"It was awesome," para swimming champion Tim Hodge beamed, having performed the new ceremonial role of baton bearer for Australia.

"You wouldn't be able to tell whether they'd ... thought of it in two years' time, or they'd spent 10 years intricately designing it. It was incredible."

Australian flag bearer Nina Kennedy also described the extravaganza as "awesome".

While not exactly parachuting into the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony with James Bond, King Charles and Queen Camilla kicked off proceedings in style by arriving via the iconic Doctor Who time machine.

Able-bodied and para athletes from the 74 competing nations were then welcomed to a make-shift Glaswegian garden as electro-folk duo Valtos weaved Celtic influences into a contemporary dance and rap.

Rather than a single King's baton, nations were given their own to decorate and bring to the opening ceremony. 

The batons were handcrafted in Glasgow from Scottish ash fallen in the city's parks, with each planted within the garden of the opening ceremony.

Approximately a third of Australia's 257-strong team were part of the procession led by star pole vaulter Kennedy.

Scotland's team strolled out, with the tartan-clad final nation in the procession given a standing ovation at a venue with few empty seats.

"A city built by people who believe that when something matters, you step forward," George Black, chair of the Glasgow 2026 organising committee, later roared on stage.

"When the future of these Games was uncertain, Glasgow didn't ask, 'can we?'.

"We asked, "When do we get started?'."

The end of the athletes' parade was followed by an appearance by Nessie the Loch Ness Monster, actor Sam Heughan of Outlander fame and bagpipers.

The opening ceremony then traversed through many facets of Glasgow, putting on a flash mob under the Glasgow Central station clock, before dancing unicorns with traffic cones - for decades, regularly placed on an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington - paid tribute to the city's underground club culture.

A rousing rendition of the Proclaimers' anthem 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) was sung by Nina Nesbitt as the King's intercontinental baton relay finally came to an end.

Unlike the first time Glasgow hosted the Games in 2014, this year's 11-day event has just 10 sports and will be hosted at four pre-existing venues across an eight-mile corridor.

The Games started as the British Empire Games in 1930.