Venue and equipment confirmed for Malta 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games

Competition will take place from 30 October to 4 November 2027, with the sailing venue now confirmed to be the iconic waters of Mellieħa Bay, which will provide a world-class maritime backdrop for the Commonwealth’s top emerging talent to showcase their skills. 

Sailing’s debut on a Commonwealth Games sport programme will feature four specific medal events, with young athletes competing for gold in the Men’s Optimist, Women’s Optimist, Men’s ILCA 4, and Women’s ILCA 4 categories. This inclusion reflects a strategic effort by the organisers to showcase Malta’s coastal heritage while expanding the diversity of the Games. 

World Sailing CEO David Graham said: “World Sailing is proud and delighted that sailing will make its debut in the Commonwealth Youth Games. Our sport takes place in what we believe is nature’s greatest arena and provides young people with skills, including resilience, self-reliance and teamwork, which they can carry into later life regardless of their results on the water.” 

Malta is expected to host approximately 1,200 athletes, aged 14-18 from across the Commonwealth’s 74 nations and territories.  

The sport programme at Malta 2027 will feature eight sports: swimming and Para swimming, athletics and Para athletics, netball, sailing, squash, triathlon, water polo 4×4 and weightlifting. This distinctive programme was designed to maximise local and Commonwealth youth appeal and utilise existing state-of-the-art existing venues.  

Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir said: “Malta 2027 promises fantastic competition from across the Commonwealth, including sports that have not previously featured at the Youth Games. Working in close partnership with the Malta 2027 team, we are creating new opportunities for young athletes through the introduction of sailing and water polo 4×4. The expansion of the Para programme, including the debut of Para swimming, underlines our commitment to inclusion. We look forward to delivering an exceptional Games together.”  

Commonwealth Games Association Malta President Julian Pace Bonello said: ”Unveiling our medal event programme is a defining moment for Malta 2027. We have built a sport programme that celebrates youth, champions inclusion and showcases the very best of what Malta and Gozo have to offer. With 116 medal events across eight sports - including the debuts of sailing, water polo 4×4 and Para swimming - we are giving young athletes from all 74 nations and territories an unforgettable stage on which to shine and setting a new benchmark for the Commonwealth Youth Games.”