The right to host the Games was won by the Gold Coast 2018 bid after a 43-27 vote by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly on 11 November 2011 in Saint Kitts.

The city made their surprise bid for the Games on March 31, 2010.

The athletes village would have been located around the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, which would have been one of the venues.

[2] Unlike the Gold Coast's plan, which include venues in the nearby cities of Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, Hambantota's venues were all planned for the same area.

17 sports and 228 events were planned to be contested if the bid was successful.