The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The first event was held in 1930, and it has been held every four years since then. After the Olympic Games and the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games are the world's third-largest multi-sport event. Commonwealth Games are open to all members of the Commonwealth of Nations, which currently includes 54 countries. Athletes compete in a variety of sports, with the aim of promoting peace and understanding among the Commonwealth nations. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) manages the sporting programme and chooses host cities for the Games.

The first Commonwealth Games took place in 1930 in Hamilton, in the province of Ontario in Canada from 16–23 August 1930 and opened by Lord Willingdon. The Games were originally known as the British Empire Games and were first proposed by John Astley Cooper in 1891. It was founded by the Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and athlete, Melville Marks Robinson. The Games were originally open to athletes from the British Empire and Commonwealth, but have since been open to athletes from all over the world. The event was originally intended to be held every four years but was postponed due to the outbreak of World War II. It was not until 1950 that the Games were held again, this time in Auckland, New Zealand.

Since 1950, the Games have been held every four years, with the exception of 1986, when they were held in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2018, the Games became the first global multi-sport event to have an equal number of men's and women's medal events, and four years later they are the first global multi-sport event to have more events for women than men.

The first Games were a modest affair, with just eleven countries sending athletes to compete in six sports. But the Games have grown steadily over the years, and now feature athletes from over 70 countries competing in a wide range of sports. The Commonwealth Games are now widely considered to be one of the world's major sporting events. 

The 22nd Commonwealth Games were held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8, 2022. The next Commonwealth Games will be the first in history to be held in a decentralized manner, taking place across four cities in the Australian state of Victoria from March 17 to 29, 2026.