Duran Duran To Headline Opening Ceremony Of 2022 Commonwealth Games
"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.”
The lineup for the 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony has been announced and it is honestly the stuff of English musical dreams.
New wave icons Duran Duran will headline the ceremony, which will take place in their city of origin, Birmingham. The local legends responsible for international megahits Come Undone, Hungry Like The Wolf, Ordinary World and Girls On Film seem an inspired choice to top a lineup that is stacked with some of Birmingham's most notable names.
Speaking on the honour the members of Duran Duran reflected on what the honour means to them.
Vocalist Simon Le Bon stated "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", with Roger Taylor offering his own thoughts on the announcement.
“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.”
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Joining Duran Duran as a performer at the ceremony is Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. The man who is widely considered to be the innovator of the heavy metal genre, Iommi adds some hard rock heft to the ceremony. Iommi's role will reportedly see him team up with heralded saxophonist Soweto Kinch to lead a dream sequence, Hear My Voice, based on the title track from the 2020 film Trial Of The Chicago Seven. The track will be reimagined by Birmingham-born RnB vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi.
The ceremony will also feature performances from musicians across a variety of genres, with the national anthem set to be performed by Mezzo-soprano and Birmingham Conservatoire graduate Samantha Oxborough, who will be supported by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, musicians from the Royal Marines and a choir consisting over 700 voices, made up of 15 choirs from the local region.
That choir will be led by Carol Pemberton, music director of the leading European female acapella group Black Voices.
The will take place at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium on 28th July.
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