The prize medal for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games was unveiled today, showcasing a groundbreaking inclusive design inspired by Glasgow’s iconic landmarks and coat of arms.
For the first time in the history of the Games, the medal incorporates Braille and tactile elements, making inclusion a tangible and sensory experience.
The unveiling took place at a special event at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA), attended by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, who serves as Vice-Patron of Commonwealth Sport.
The Glasgow 2026 medal, crafted in secrecy by the award-winning artist, designer, and maker Militsa Milenkova, also known as Milly, stands out with its unique Reuleaux triangle shape, a geometric form unlike any prize medal seen before.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games medals have been designed to celebrate achievement, inclusion and the city of Glasgow.
The design is deeply inspired by the city’s coat of arms and its rich landscape, incorporating elements such as the Finnieston Crane, the sports venues that will host the Games, and the industrial heritage and cultural traditions that define Glasgow’s identity, all intricately woven into its structural details.
Following a collaboration between Glasgow 2026 and The Glasgow School of Art, Milly was chosen to design the medals.
The School’s Silversmithing and Jewellery artists in residence were invited to submit their concepts for the prize medal design to a panel comprising representatives from Commonwealth Sport, Glasgow 2026, The Glasgow School of Art, the medal fabricator, and an independent jewellery and silversmithing expert.
“I really wanted to be involved in designing the medals as to me this place is my chosen home,” said Milly, who is originally from Bulgaria, whilst talking about the process and her design.
“I wanted to try and portray this into something that will become a symbol for the Games and all the people who take part in it. I thought it would be a really nice way to put my connection with the city into the design.
“I designed the medal to be a standout edition of the Commonwealth Games medals. I wanted it to be something that the athletes would resonate with. When I was thinking about the design, I wanted to try and fit Glasgow into one shape and to do that I was naturally drawn to the symbol of the city – the coat of arms. That’s where I took the distinctive shape from.
“I then started to play around with my ideas, using the Finnieston Crane and the shapes from it and how that also reminds me of the tartan. I wanted to include that as well as it’s a symbol of national identity for Scotland. The triangular shapes that I have on the surface of the medal come from the top of the crane and the texture represents the tartan.
“There are three surface levels representing the podiums that athletes step on to – which is possibly the biggest moment of their lives. And I wanted to make inclusion tangible; I’m so proud that the design is tactile and accessible with details expressed in braille on the prize medal for the very first time.”
A total of 215 gold medals will be awarded across 10 sports and six Para sports, with 47 gold medals dedicated to Para sports alone, marking the largest Para sport programme in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
The medal is among several key visual and ceremonial elements of Glasgow 2026, all designed and crafted by local artists.
The Official Tartan of the Games was created by Siobhan Mackenzie, one of Scotland’s leading textile designers, while the Longines Countdown Clock, situated in Central Station, was designed by another GSA graduate, Agnes Jones.
The 74 King’s Batons, which are traveling across the Commonwealth before arriving in Glasgow for the Opening Ceremony, were designed and crafted by Tim Norman at GalGael, a Glasgow social enterprise rooted in craft and community.
“Today’s medal reveal really brings home what Glasgow 2026 is all about – a reimagined Games where we’re not afraid to do things differently,” said Dr Donald Rakure, President, Commonwealth Sport. “Milly has created a medal that athletes across the Commonwealth will be striving to win and proud to wear.”
“Accessibility has been central to the design priorities throughout. The medal has been created around inclusivity, with every detail carefully considered, from the braille and the tactile elements to the three-tiered structure and distinctive shape.
“It will be instantly recognisable and even among a lifetime of achievements, athletes will know straight away that this is Glasgow 2026.”
