The present study has experimentally investigated the effects of $CO_2$ diluted oxygen on the structure of swirl-stabilized flame in a lab-scale combustor. The methane fuel and oxidant mixture gas ($CO_2$ and $O_2$) were mixed in a pre-mixer and introduced to the combustor through different degrees of swirl vanes. The flame characteristics were examined for various amount of carbon dioxide addition to the methane fuel and various swirl strengths. The effects of carbon dioxide addition and swirl intensity on the combustion characteristics of pre-mixed methane flames were examined using chemiluminescence techniques to provide information about flow field. The results show that the hot combustion zone increases at the upstream reaction zone because of an increase in the recirculation flow for an increase in swirl intensity. The hot combustion zone is also increased at the downstream zone by recirculation flow because of an increase in swirl intensity which results in higher centrifugal force. The OH and CH radical intensities of reaction zone decrease with carbon dioxide addition because the carbon dioxide plays a role of diluted gas in the reaction zone.