Jorja Smith, Laura Mvula and UB40 will be among the acts performing at Monday’s Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, which will also include a nod to the hit TV show Peaky Blinders.
The ceremony in Birmingham, celebrating the musical heritage of the West Midlands, marks the end of 11 days of sporting action in which 4,500 Commonwealth athletes competed across 19 sports and eight para sports.
Other acts performing at the event taking place at the Alexander Stadium include Beverley Knight, Dexys Midnight Runners, Goldie and Musical Youth, best known for their 1982 hit, Pass the Dutchie.
Recognising the cultural impact of Peaky Blinders – one of Birmingham’s major exports of the past decade – there will be a sequence from the theatre show Peaky Blinders: the Redemption of Thomas Shelby, which has its world premiere in the city next month.
British singer Mvula will give a special performance of a newly commissioned track inspired by the Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song Red Right Hand, which is used as the TV series’ theme tune.
Martin Green, chief creative officer of the Birmingham Games, said they had wanted to create a “spectacular” lineup of global artists from the West Midlands for an “exhilarating musical production” to close the sporting event.
“The medley of high-octane performances will celebrate the vibrant energy and cultural heritage of this incredible city, as we bring these spectacular home Games to a fitting end,” he added.
Boris Johnson said the Games had been a “shining example” of the power of sport in “strengthening the ties between our unique partnership of Commonwealth nations”.
The prime minister praised Birmingham for being “fantastic first-time hosts” and “cementing the UK’s well-deserved reputation for hosting major sporting events on the global stage”.
He also thanked the volunteers, the crowds and the athletes for making the Games “the best yet”.
Johnson added that the success of Birmingham 2022 “will be measured not only in medals won or records broken but also by the number of people inspired to take up sport as a result and who will be able to, thanks to this government’s massive investment in grassroots sport in recent years”."
He said the West Midlands will “reap the rewards from the lasting economic legacy” of the Games, which he added will “drive trade, jobs and growth across the region for a generation to come”.
The closing ceremony, which will be broadcast at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, will include a formal handover to the state of Victoria, Australia, which is hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
