Returning to the city where their four-decade career began, global hitmakers Duran Duran will be the finale to the Ceremony’s stunning musical offer, featuring some of the city’s most celebrated artists and promoting its emerging talent on a global stage, from Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi to vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambini, under the musical direction of rapper, artist and educator Joshua ‘RTKal’ Holness.
Birmingham’s Opening and Closing ceremonies will be staged at the newly-redeveloped Alexander Stadium in front of a live audience of over 30,000 people and a television audience of over a billion.
With the best of Birmingham’s creative minds at its helm, and its best-loved talent at its heart, this ceremony will be a major moment for the region with the world watching, brought to life by the sounds of this vibrant city.
Birmingham’s multi-Grammy winning Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and acclaimed saxophonist Soweto Kinch will lead a dream sequence, Hear my Voice, based on the title track from 2020 film Trial of the Chicago Seven, reimagined here by Birmingham-born RnB vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi – both making waves on the regional and national scene, with Marshall’s debut EP, ‘The Fall’, Amazon’s #1 R&B Best Seller.
Birmingham Conservatoire graduate and mezzo-soprano Samantha Oxborough will take the prestigious role of performing the National Anthem for the United Kingdom as part of the formal opening of the Games, supported by the celebrated City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under acclaimed conductor Alpesh Chauhan, while musicians from The Royal Marines deliver a rousing trumpet fanfare.
A massed choir of over 700 voices, comprised of 15 choirs from across the West Midlands will flood the arena, led by Carol Pemberton and Black Voices, one of Europe’s leading female a cappella groups.
Meanwhile, musicians from across the region, representing global musical styles, provide the bed for major theatrical moments throughout the production, including a Call to Gather sequence for the whole Commonwealth, featuring two-time, Grammy-award winning percussionist Lekan Babalola, vocalist Ranjana Ghatak, shawm player Jude Rees, bagpiper Chris Crouch and Djembe player Abraham Paddy Tetteh, with Birmingham-wide Dohl drummers providing a percussive backdrop to stunning visual moments.
These rich musical threads, will set the stage for iconic British band, Duran Duran to draw the Opening Ceremony to a close, performing four much-loved tracks from their remarkable catalogue.
Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon said: “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is a momentous event for the great city of Birmingham. And we in Duran Duran are honoured to be a part of it in our home town.”
Roger Taylor, said: “We are so proud to be returning to our home town to close the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. It is a true honour to be part of a global event that will bring sportspeople of all cultural backgrounds around the world together as one. Another milestone in a most incredible year for us.”
John Taylor, said: “It is so good to be participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games this year, performing for the first time with the CBSO. It will also be exciting to hang around some of the world’s greatest athletes, hoping to get some fitness tips…”
With ceremonial traditions including the athletes’ parade and stunning firework finale, the Opening Ceremony will open the Games with spectacle and emotion.
The Closing Ceremony (8 Aug), line up will be announced in the coming weeks. Set to be the party of the year – it will feature a host of West Midlands music talent past, present and future.
These events are two of the flagship moments for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Running from 28 July – 8 August, these Games are set to break records before a medal is even won, delivering the biggest ever para sport programme and featuring more women’s medals than men’s for the first time ever.
Further details about the Opening Ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks, with details on the Closing Ceremony to be released at a later date. There is limited availability for tickets for both Ceremonies, and tickets remain across the sporting programme at birmingham2022.com.