Duran Duran to Headline Commonwealth Games Opening in Birmingham

British songs icons Duran Duran will headline the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Video games in Birmingham.

Returning to the city the place their four-10 years profession started, Duran Duran will be the finale to the ceremony’s live performance. The city’s multi-Grammy winning Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and saxophonist Soweto Kinch will direct a desire sequence, “Hear my Voice,” based mostly on the title track from 2020 film “The Trial of the Chicago Seven,” reimagined by Birmingham-born RnB vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi. The event will be under the musical route of rapper, artist and educator Joshua ‘RTKal’ Holness and the inventive director for the opening ceremony is theater producer Iqbal Khan.

At the ceremony, Birmingham Conservatoire graduate and mezzo-soprano Samantha Oxborough will Doing the Countrywide Anthem for the United Kingdom as section of the official opening of the Games, supported by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra less than conductor Alpesh Chauhan, while musicians from The Royal Marines provide a trumpet fanfare. A massed choir of over 700 voices, comprising 15 choirs from throughout the West Midlands, will flood the arena, led by Carol Pemberton and Black Voices, one of Europe’s major female a cappella groups. Other musicians carrying out involve Grammy-winning percussionist Lekan Babalola, vocalist Ranjana Ghatak, shawm player Jude Rees, bagpiper Chris Crouch and Djembe player Abraham Paddy Tetteh.

Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon mentioned: “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Online games is a momentous occasion for the wonderful metropolis of Birmingham. And we in Duran Duran are honored to be a part of it in our property city.”

Roger Taylor explained: “We are so happy to be returning to our house town to shut the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Online games opening ceremony. It is a accurate honor to be portion of a world-wide function that will bring sportspeople of all cultural backgrounds about the planet collectively as 1. A further milestone in a most outstanding yr for us.”

John Taylor included: “It is so very good to be participating in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Game titles this yr, doing for the first time with the CBSO. It will also be interesting to dangle close to some of the world’s greatest athletes, hoping to get some health recommendations.”

Khan claimed: “It’s the songs of this town that genuinely provides it its voice, and this gorgeous line-up will link with a world audience, as we celebrate the best of Birmingham creative imagination on an international phase.”

The games operate July 28-Aug. 8. The opening and closing ceremonies will be staged at Birmingham’s recently-redeveloped Alexander Stadium in front of a stay viewers of in excess of 30,000 people today.