This year, the Commonwealth Games, one of the biggest sporting events, is being hosted by the city of Birmingham.
The opening ceremony took place on Thursday as around 35,000 people flocked to the newly renovated Alexandra Stadium. From musical performances to guest speakers, the event did not disappoint.
Being from Birmingham myself, seeing our industrial heritage and diverse history celebrated through performance was captivating. Here are just some of the highlights.
The Queen’s Speech
Although the Queen herself could not make it, a speech she wrote was read out by Prince Charles to kick off the ceremony. The Prince arrived in a vintage Aston Martin which runs solely on wine and cheese(!).
He read “Tonight, in the words of the founder of the Games, we embark once again on a novel adventure here in Birmingham. A pioneering city which has drawn in and embraced so many throughout its history.
“It is the city symbolic of the rich diversity and unity of the Commonwealth. And that now welcomes you all in friendship.”
On behalf of the Queen, Charles wished the athletes luck before declaring the Commonwealth Games 2022 officially open.
Strange Puppets
Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight was the man behind the ceremony, which could explain the weird and wonderful creativity behind it. One thing that viewers couldn’t erase from their minds was the display of giant and rather strange looking puppets.
The puppets represented famous faces from Birmingham, although they weren’t the most flattering.
Twitter was flooded with comments like “Why is there a giant slug in the opening ceremony?”
The giant slug was in fact supposed to be Dr Samuel Johnson, who made the first modern English Dictionary and was born in Lichfield.
The famous composer Edward Elgar was also depicted as a giant head – an interesting choice to say the least. The puppets were very cartoon and caricature-like. While not everyone loved them, they definitely got everyone talking.
The Raging Bull
Of course being in Birmingham, there had to be a bull in there as an ode to the Bull-Ring. Only, I didn’t expect it to be so big and kind of terrifying. 30 foot tall, red-eyed and breathing smoke, it was a sight to behold.
It took five months to build and was led out by female chain makers representing the Industrial Revolution. They were underpaid and took control by taking part in a minimum wage strike. To highlight this, in an emotional moment, viewers saw them break free from their shackles.
The bull now sits in Centenary Square in the city centre so make sure to grab a picture if you’re in the area.
Tom Daly advocating for LGBTQ+ rights
The Olympic gold-medalist diver Tom Daly, made a stand against criminilised homosexuality at the ceremony as he delivered the Queen’s baton to its final destination.
He made his entrance with a pride flag alongside a group of activists and athletes he met while filming his recent documentary Tom Daly: Illegal to be me.
“In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in 3 of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence” explained Daly in an Instagram post.
“These laws are a legacy of colonialism. LGBT+ athletes must be safe and feel comfortable being their authentic selves without fear of persecution or death” he continued.
Seeing all of the activists entering with the pride flags held high, it was an emotional moment with an important message.
Malala Yousafzai and an ode to books
Another inspiring message was that of Malala Yousafzai. Malala moved to Birmingham when she was 15 after surviving a Pakistani Taliban massacre and has since advocated for rights to education, especially for young girls.
In an emotional speech, Malala said: “The young athletes who will compete over the next two weeks represent millions of girls and boys across the Commonwealth. Our shared hope for the future.
“A future where every child can go to school. Where women can fully participate in society. Where families can live in peace and in dignity.
Following the education theme, several dancers came out and performed dressed as large books. Bernardine Evaristo, Kit De Waal and other authors had their books featured.
These were just some of our favourite moments celebrating the second city, if you want to see more make sure to watch the ceremony on YouTube – it’s definitely worth it!