Simple Minds and Delta Goodrem brought some rock and pop star-power to the closing ceremony for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, presented Sunday, Aug. 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.
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Delta, the superstar Sydneysider, kept the Australian gold-rush flowing by performing her classic “Born To Try,” lifted from her 2003 smash debut album Innocent Eyes, and had the honors of welcoming the athletes into The OVO Hydro with a medley of her hits.
Delta belted out a batch of power ballads, including “Eclipse,” the song she performed at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, and fresh cut “Warrior.”
“Glasgow,” she writes on Instagram. “What a way to close the 2026 Commonwealth Games celebrating these incredible athletes, their strength, perseverance, heart. The unity that sports and music bring! A special moment singing Warrior for you all.”
To close it out, Goodrem teamed up with Scottish pop artist Cammy Barnes for a rendition of Australia’s unofficial national anthem, John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice.”
Goodrem has now completed a Commonwealth Games hattrick, after twice performing at the tournament in Australia — at Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018.
With her closing ceremony spot, Delta ensured her homeland continued its winning form. Australia topped the medals table with 70 gold, well ahead of England (29 gold) and Canada (19), respectively.
Delta is on something of a victory lap. Following her spot at Eurovision, where she finished fourth, she will begin her independent phase with Pure on Nov. 6, her first album release through a new deal struck with Universal Music via Better Now Records/Electrola. It’s the followup to Delta’s 2021 collection, Bridge Over Troubled Dreams (via Sony Music), her fifth leader on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Meanwhile, Glasgow’s finest, Simple Minds, wrapped-up the Commonwealth Games spectacular with a pair of songs from their mid-‘80s pomp, “Alive and Kicking” and “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill and Co. will celebrate their fifth decade in music with the V Tour, kicking off February 2027 with a run of headlining arena shows in Australia and New Zealand.
Sandi Thom, Shereen Cutkelvin, Elephan Sessions and Bemz also performed at the Closing Ceremony, which marked the official end of the 11-day quadrennial multi-sport event. For the record, the home nation punched well above its weight during the official competition, winning 13 gold for fifth spot on the medals tally, ahead of New Zealand, Nigeria and Jamaica, respectively.
The Commonwealth Games spotlights athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which includes England and more than 70 former “British Empire” territories across the world.
