The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is set to host the Glasgow 2026 King’s Baton Relay (KBR) from May 16–21, 2025, as part of the build-up to the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games. The BVI will be the 10th stop on the Baton’s global journey through the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories.
In a press briefing held on April 16 at the BVIOC Office, the BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC), in its capacity as Commonwealth Sport BVI (CSBVI), unveiled a dynamic series of community events and sustainability initiatives to mark the Baton’s arrival, alongside the exciting announcement of the artist selected to decorate the territory’s very own Baton.
Historic First
For the first time in the Relay’s history, each country will receive and decorate a unique Baton crafted from sustainable ash wood. The BVI’s decorated Baton will be proudly carried by the BVI delegation at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Honourable Luce Hodge-Smith, Junior Minister for Tourism and Culture, announced the selection of local visual artist, Desiree Smith as the official designer for the BVI Baton. Smith’s vibrant concept, which highlights the BVI’s natural beauty, culture, and sporting excellence, was selected from among invited proposals submitted from a short list of talented local artists that also included Lutia Durante, Tia Modeste, and Walden Benjamin.
“Ms. Smith’s design captured the essence of the Virgin Islands in a way that was both bold and heartfelt,” said Hon. Hodge-Smith. “I am thrilled to announce that she will not only decorate the Baton, but the Honourable Premier has agreed that the Government of the Virgin Islands will be flying Ms. Smith to Glasgow to attend the Opening Ceremony as part of the BVI delegation. She will be hosted by the Premier at London House along with our Commonwealth Games team.”
Smith’s design includes three distinct panels—‘British Virgin Islands,’ ‘Colourful,’ and ‘Commonwealth Sport’—each infused with rich imagery, Territorial colors, and symbols representing the territory’s environment, culture, and athletic prowess.
“It’s a tremendous honour to represent the BVI in this way,” said Smith. “My goal was to make the Baton a vibrant expression of who we are as a people—our love for our land, our culture, and the pride we carry into every sporting arena. I hope when people see our Baton in Glasgow, they’ll immediately feel the warmth and spirit of the Virgin Islands.”
The artist will use acrylic paints, permanent markers, glitter, rhinestones, adhesives, and varnish to create a design that is both durable and striking on the international stage.
The artist selection process was overseen by Creative Waves, a cultural development initiative led by Director, Sophie Stanton. “Desiree’s submission stood out for its bold use of colour, layered symbolism, and emotional resonance,” said Stanton. “This project was about showcasing the richness of our creative community, and we’re proud of every artist who submitted. Desiree’s Baton will be a beacon of BVI pride on the world stage.”
Sustainability
The KBR celebration in the BVI will feature community-centered events, including school visits, a Baton relay through Road Town on May 20, and a coastal clean-up initiative on May 17 led by Green VI in support of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign emphasizing sustainability as a feature of the KBR.
“We are excited as an environmental NPO to be partnering with Commonwealth Sport BVI in this worthwhile event,” said Dylan Penn, Director of Operations, Green VI. “The changes demonstrate the shared value of sustainability and cultural pride. We are planning a public coastline collection of litter across the Virgin Islands including Great Harbour in Jost Van Dyke, Setting Point in Anegada, Road Town, Tortola and Taddy Bay in Virgin Gorda. We are not only collecting but we are sorting and categorizing the litter to see what we can recycle and upcycle All persons are encouraged to participate.”
Ephraim Penn, President, CSBVI noted, “This new model of the Baton Relay emphasizes sustainability, inclusion, and national pride. We are excited to celebrate with our communities through the planned activities and to share our story with the Commonwealth. We also look forward to announcing the Baton bearers for the relay and sharing the details of the handover spots through media announcements, on our website and on social media.”
Ahead of the announcement, Mark Chapman, Treasurer, CSBVI and Chef de Mission for Glasgow 2026, shared the dates for the Games to be held in Scotland, UK from July 23 – August 2, 2026, along with an overview of the 10 sports in which athletes will compete.
“The number of sports has been cut down from 20 to 10 and includes athletics, 3×3 basketball, bowls, boxing, judo, netball, power lifting, swimming, track cycling and weightlifting. The BVI has been represented at Games in athletics, squash, swimming, 3×3 basketball and cycling. We have registered 12 athletes who will be confirmed ahead of the Games,” said Chapman.
