Team Gibraltar fly the flag in Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony

The sixteen-strong Team Gibraltar paraded behind the Gibraltar flag at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The opening ceremony, which saw the King and Queen emerge from inside the TARDIS at the start of the event, featured all 74 participating nations parading behind their flags one by one. Breaking with tradition, the athletes entered at the beginning of the ceremony, allowing them to remain and watch the spectacle themselves.

Swimmer Jordan Gonzalez had the honour of carrying the Gibraltar flag, an accolade that recognises "outstanding athletic achievement, leadership, and dedication to representing their country on the international stage."

Prior to the ceremony, Gonzalez said: "Being selected as Flag Bearer is an incredible honour and one of the proudest moments of my sporting career. To represent my country and lead our team into the Commonwealth Games is a privilege I will cherish forever. I am grateful for the support of my family, coaches, teammates, and everyone who has been part of my journey."

Alongside him was Holly O'Shea, carrying Gibraltar's Commonwealth Games Baton.

It was a particularly emotional moment for the weightlifter as she carried the baton, which not only represented Gibraltar but also paid tribute to her late brother. The custom-designed Gibraltar Baton includes a specially commissioned image of Holly's late brother, Sam O'Shea. An accomplished triathlete and cyclist, Sam proudly represented Gibraltar in the road cycling events at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Tragically, he lost his life in a cycling accident while training in France last year.

"Carrying the baton into the Opening Ceremony is an incredible honour, but doing so with Sam by my side makes it deeply emotional," said Holly O'Shea. "Sam loved representing Gibraltar. To be able to carry his memory into my second Games means everything to our family."

The Gibraltar Commonwealth Games Association (GCGA) added: "Holly embodies the resilience, dedication, and spirit of Gibraltar. The inclusion of Sam's image on the baton is a beautiful tribute to a young man who gave so much to our sporting community. We are immensely proud of Holly, and we know the entire nation will be cheering her on as she carries the baton and competes in Glasgow."

The young weightlifter wiped away a tear as she handed over the baton.
Gibraltar emerged as one of the final nations to enter the arena, taking its place among the European nations alongside Cyprus, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Malta and hosts Scotland, parading behind the sizeable England team.
The biggest ovation of the evening was reserved for Team Scotland, the hosts, who were the final team to enter.
Gibraltar's sixteen-strong team will compete in athletics, boxing, judo, swimming and weightlifting.

Holly O'Shea will compete in the weightlifting competition after being selected by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) based on Commonwealth rankings, having competed in a number of qualifying international events.

This year's Games have been scaled back after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host at a late stage.
As a result, Glasgow has been able to stage only 10 sports, compared with the 20 featured at Birmingham 2022.
This has meant that some of Gibraltar's regular Commonwealth sports, including cycling, triathlon, shooting and squash, are not part of this year's programme.
However, it has also provided an opportunity for two new sports—judo and boxing—to make their Commonwealth Games debut for Gibraltar.
Unlike previous Games, where Gibraltar's athletes stayed together in a single athletes' village, competitors in Glasgow are being accommodated across three locations and grouped by sport rather than by nation.
Competition gets underway on Friday, with the Games being broadcast to a global audience on TNT Sports.