Barbados is preparing for its moment in the spotlight as the fourth stop on the first regional leg of the King’s Baton Relay (KBR) ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. This country, one of 14 Caribbean nations participating in the KBR, will host the Baton from Saturday, March 29, to Thursday, April 3, 2025.
This 18th official Baton Relay will be the longest-ever for Commonwealth Sport, with Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in the 74 nations and territories having six days to organise their activities. Another historic shift is that each Commonwealth nation and territory will receive their own uniquely crafted Baton, eliminating traditional handovers and promoting sustainability by reducing polluting travel and transit between nations and territories.
Additionally, each nation and territory will have the opportunity to personalise its Baton and showcase its national identity. Commonwealth Sport has encouraged CGAs to use the skills of artists, athletes, and children to decorate their Batons. In Barbados, Commonwealth Sport Barbados has engaged the Fine Arts Department of the Barbados Community College to enhance the Baton that arrived on the island on March 12.
Barbados Prepares for an Exciting Line-up of Events
Sandra Osborne, SCM, SC, President of Commonwealth Sport Barbados, expressed the nation’s enthusiasm to participate in the Relay, stating, “Barbados is thrilled to join in the King’s Baton Relay. We are ready to embrace the spirit of the Commonwealth and showcase our passion for sport, culture, and environmental responsibility. We also see this as an incredible opportunity to engage our communities and inspire future generations.”
In an unprecedented partnership for the KBR, Commonwealth Sport and the Royal Commonwealth Society (Commonwealth Society of Barbados) are joining forces to launch the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, highlighting critical ocean conservation efforts and innovative solutions to plastic waste. In keeping with this, the first activity of the Barbados leg of the Relay will be a beach clean-up at Long Beach, Christ Church, on Saturday, March 29, from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. The beach clean-up is being conducted in collaboration with the Barbados-based Caribbean Youth Environment Network and the British High Commission Bridgetown. All National Federations are invited to attend.
On Monday, March 31, the excitement continues with the Baton Relay, where the Baton will journey from State House to the Olympic Centre at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, culminating with a special performance from the Barbados Landship. Representatives of the British High Commission Bridgetown and several schools along the route, including Springer Memorial, Charles F. Broome Primary School, Belmont Primary School, St. Winifred’s School, Irving Wilson School, The Ann Hill School and Luther Thorne Primary School, will participate in the Relay.
Then, on Wednesday, April 2, a photo shoot will take place at the Garfield Sobers Complex, capturing sporting organizations in action as they practice or compete in Basketball, Netball, Road Tennis, Swimming, Tennis and Volleyball.
A Global Journey Leading to Glasgow 2026
His Majesty The King, Patron of Commonwealth Sport, officially launched the inaugural Commonwealth Sport King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day, Monday, March 10, 2025.
The Relay began in Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, marking the first stop on its journey. The Caribbean leg will conclude in St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Saturday, June 14, 2025, before moving through Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Americas, and Europe, ultimately culminating in the Opening Ceremony of 10-sport Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on July 23, 2026.
For more information about the Glasgow 2026 King’s Baton Relay, visit: www.glasgow2026.com