Duran Duran To Perform At 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
Duran Duran will headline the opening ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Birmingham. The ceremony will take place on 28 July.
Returning to the city where their four-decade career began, the pop greats will provide the finale to the ceremony, which will also feature some of the city’s most celebrated artists and emerging talent, from Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi to saxophonist Soweto Kinch and vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambini, under the musical direction of rapper, artist and educator Joshua ‘RTKal’ Holness.
.@duranduran will be joined by famous names including @sowetokinch, @tonyiommi and @BRB as the line-up for Birmingham 2022's unforgettable opening ceremony is revealed.
Get the lowdown in our latest blog:https://t.co/FbNHPwvCIr pic.twitter.com/G63kPpSCyF
— Birmingham 2022 (@birminghamcg22) July 20, 2022
Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon said: “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.”
Roger Taylor of the band added, “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.”
And John Taylor quipped, “It is so good to be participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games this year, performing for the first time with the CBSO. It will also be exciting to hang around some of the world’s greatest athletes, hoping to get some fitness tips…”
Iqbal Khan, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, said, “It’s been an unbelievable honour to guide the artistic direction for the Opening Ceremony. Since setting out on this journey, I wanted to tell Birmingham’s story and I wanted to tell it right – to show that there is a vivid and vibrant confidence about this place, in this moment.
“It’s the music of this city that truly gives it its voice, and this stunning line-up will connect with a global audience, as we celebrate the best of Birmingham creativity on an international stage.”