Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan and Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna will headline India’s cultural presentation at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2026 at the Hydro in Glasgow on August 2.
India will officially receive the Commonwealth Games flag during the ceremony, marking the formal handover to the hosts of the 2030 edition in Ahmedabad.
Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian playback singer, composer and music director who rose to fame with his 1998 pop album Breathless. He is also a member of the acclaimed Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, which has composed music for several Indian films.
Rashmika Mandanna is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. She is best known for her performances in the Telugu hit Geetha Govindam along with pan-India blockbusters Pushpa: The Rise and Animal.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony will also feature Scottish rock icons Simple Minds, best known for global hits like ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ and ‘Alive and Kicking.’
They will be joined by Australian singer Delta Goodrem, returning to a Commonwealth Games closing ceremony 20 years after performing at Melbourne 2006.
Scottish artists Cammy Barnes, BEMZ, Sandi Thom, award-winning folk-electronic band Elephant Sessions and vocalist Shereen Cutkelvin will also perform.
The Indian segment at the closing ceremony is expected to run for around 20 minutes. It will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Centenary Commonwealth Games and showcase India’s cultural heritage through music, dance and traditional performances.
Ahmedabad, also known as Amdavad, was announced as the host city for the Commonwealth Games 2030 in November. It will mark the centenary edition of the multi-sport showpiece.
The Commonwealth Games 2030 in Ahmedabad will be the second time that India will host the multi-sport event after New Delhi 2010.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games remains the only time India won more than 100 medals at a single edition of the Games. It was the country’s most successful campaign in the CWG to date. India’s 101 medals, including 38 golds, placed them second on the medals tally.
A total of 125 Indians will compete for medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026, scheduled from July 23 to August 2.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/commonwealth-games-2026-closing-ceremony-shankar-mahadevan-rashmika-mandanna
