The Commonwealth Games kicked off on Thursday night with an unashamedly loud celebration of everything Birmingham, complete with a 10-meter-tall raging bull, a union jack made of 72 cars, and an appearance by Malala Yousafzai.
The two-and-a-half-hour opening ceremony, packed with references to the host city’s history and culture, signaled the start of Britain’s largest multi-sport event since the London Olympics.
Duran Duran closed the show with a rendition of their greatest hits as fireworks flared over the newly refurbished Alexander Stadium, with Brummies’ drag queen Ginny Lemon starring in a lemon-shaped hot air balloon.
“It feels like these games have come at the right time for this city,” said Iqbal Khan, the show’s artistic director. “We are prepared to make a public statement about ourselves.” Birmingham is one of the most exciting places in the country right now, and I believe it is a model for many other places around the world in terms of how to celebrate and enjoy living with difference.”
The opening ceremony took 18 months to complete, thanks to the efforts of a creative team that included Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and Super Bowl half-time director Hamish Hamilton.
Although Brummie are known for their modesty and self-deprecation when it comes to their hometown, the show appeared to herald the beginning of what has been dubbed a “golden decade” and renewed confidence in the region.
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The Commonwealth Games Federation’s president, Dame Louise Martin, stated that she believes this year’s event will be “one of the greatest and most important editions of the Commonwealth Games in our 92-year history.” “Our 72 nations and territories are all here, and Birmingham looks magnificent,” she said. The city and surrounding region will provide the ideal setting for our athletes to compete.”
The opening ceremony traced the history of Birmingham through Stella and the Dreamers, a group of young athletes from across the Commonwealth.
The show’s most visually impressive element was the raging bull, a massive aluminum and steel puppet built around a forklift truck-like machine made from materials sourced from local factories. It was dragged into the stadium by 50 women dressed as Industrial Revolution chain makers.
A parade of trucks featured Birmingham inventions such as pen nibs, police whistles, and the Baskerville font, as well as a group of giant puppets portraying regional pioneers such as Edward Elgar, William Shakespeare, and Samuel Johnson.
“We tried to give everything an edge.” “There’s an old bike and a shopping trolley in the canal water where the tower rises,” set designer Misty Buckley explained. “There’s a sense of humor and wit that says, ‘We’re still in Birmingham, we’re not taking ourselves too seriously here,'” says the author.
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The arrival of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, who arrived in a blue Aston Martin DB6 Volante, was marked by 72 red, white, and blue cars forming a union jack as the Red Arrows flew overhead.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who settled in Birmingham after being flown to the UK for medical treatment after being shot by the Taliban, spoke about her love for her new home, mentioning “the doctors and nurses at Queen Elizabeth hospital” and “the teachers who inspired me.”
“As we watch the incredible athletes of the Commonwealth Games over the next two weeks, remember that every child deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential and pursue her wildest dreams,” she said.
Tony Iommi, guitarist for Black Sabbath, and alto saxophonist Soweto Kinch performed, as did rising Birmingham stars Indigo Marshall and Gambini. They performed Hear My Voice, a reimagining of the title track from the upcoming film The Trial of the Chicago 7.
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Khan described the show as “an unparalleled show of excellence for the live audience, but also a broadcast show with an ambition never before conceived.”
Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, raised eyebrows earlier on Thursday when she told the BBC that the Commonwealth Games were “putting Birmingham on the map.” The city is the second largest in England.
For months, anticipation for the Games has been building. A new aquatics center opened earlier this year in Sandwell, and Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr underwent a £72 million renovation in time for the event, which Birmingham was awarded in 2017 as a replacement for Durban, South Africa, which was pulled as host due to financial concerns.
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However, there have been growing concerns about the Games’ relevance in the twenty-first century, as well as the event’s historical ties to colonialism.
Because the Queen was unable to attend the opening ceremony due to ongoing mobility issues, Prince Charles read a message from her to mark the start of the Games.
She described Birmingham as “a pioneering city that has drawn in and embraced so many throughout its history” and a place that is “symbolic of the Commonwealth’s rich diversity and unity.”
Several famous athletes appeared during the ceremony to carry the Queen’s baton, including Olympic diver Tom Daley, who ran alongside people from the 35 Commonwealth member states that prohibit homosexuality.
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Birmingham celebrities such as Sir Lenny Henry and Joe Lycett also appeared to introduce the Commonwealth nations.
“I’m going to do something the British government doesn’t always do and welcome some foreigners,” Lycett said before introducing competing Asian teams.
