After four and a half years of waiting, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is finally here and with an estimated one billion people from all over the world expected to be watching the opening ceremony, the spotlight will be on the Midlands city for the next 12 days of sport, entertainment and excitement.
It's taken years of planning, scheduling, developments and roadworks, but before the quest for medals begins in front of the one million visitors expected to make Birmingham their temporary home, the audience at the Alexander Stadium and viewers at home were treated to over three hours of the opening ceremony, which used 2,000 performers to trace the story of Birmingham past and present, while also reflecting the links between the 72 countries and territories in the Commonwealth Games.
The big names ranged from pop stars Duran Duran and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi to saxophonist Soweto Kinch and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
