Commonwealth Games countdown: Mascot Finnie revealed with A Year to Go to Glasgow 2026

Wednesday 23rd July 2025

Photo via Glasgow 2026/Craig Watson

A unicorn named Finnie – with a traffic cone for a horn – has been unveiled as the official mascot for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The character made her first official appearance at the city’s famous Finnieston Crane at dawn on Wednesday to help mark 365 days until the start of the games.

Finnie was designed with the help of school children from Glasgow and replaces Clyde the Thistle who was the mascot for the last Glasgow Games in 2014.

The mascot’s horn is a take on the famous traffic cone placed on top of the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow city centre.

Glasgow is hosting the Commonwealth Games next year after the Australian state of Victoria backed out for financial reasons.

It will feature 10 sports – including track and field – taking place across four venues in the city from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

The Finnieston Crane, where Finnie made her first appearance, and the Duke of Wellington statue with a traffic cone on its head are both iconic Glasgow landmarks.

She also has a silver flash in her shoes, in homage to the city’s shipbuilding history, star-spangled arms in a nod to the Barrowland Ballroom and a flowing purple mane inspired by the lights that shine on The Hydro venue at night.

Finnie made her first public appearance on the Finnieston Crane beside the Clyde

In a statement released on her behalf, the mascot said: “I’ll be at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games next summer with a grin, a wave, maybe even a wee dance.

“I’m here to turn the nerves into excitement, stir the cheers and help turn every moment into something magic as Glasgow 2026 swings into the city.”

Finnie will attend a number of events on Wednesday to mark the one-year countdown to the games, meeting athletes including 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan and Olympic medallist Eilidh Doyle as well as First Minister John Swinney.

Glasgow 2026 chief executive Phil Batty said: ‘Finnie represents everything Glasgow 2026 is about – fun, friendliness and of course that little bit of magic!

‘She’ll be at the heart of everything that’s exciting about these Games, from building up the crowd to hyping the athletes.’