Some viewers were left baffled at the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony on Thursday evening (July 28) with many calling the sequence 'bizarre' and 'like a fever dream'. Others commented it looked as though someone had given 'Tim Burton £100 and told him to crack on'.
Birmingham welcomed athletes from 72 nations to the Alexander Stadium for the start of the sporting event, set to last 12 days. The Games promise to be the biggest sporting festival in the UK since the London Olympics a decade ago and saw the Prince of Wales in attendance, representing the Queen.
But during the huge opening ceremony, many viewers were puzzled by parts of the performance, taking to Twitter to share their honest thoughts. The giant animatronic bull and various large puppets were among the structures which graced the stage during opening ceremony. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight was the executive producer of the extravaganza, that left many scratching their heads.
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Writer @BeardedGenius tweeted: "This opening ceremony seems designed to give young children nightmares and you have to respect that" as @nadiyahmm said: "this commonwealth games opening ceremony...ay what a disaster."
@tomsbfc said: "This commonwealth games opening ceremony is like one of those weird hallucinatory sequences that Disney used to do" and @rljsarn wrote: "Not sure if I am experiencing a fever dream or if it's the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games."
Others who were left puzzled included @tanyasikand who tweeted: "This commonwealth games opening ceremony is so bizarre. wtf am I watching" and @dom_gilbert said: "This Commonwealth games opening ceremony is utterly bizarre. Gonna have nightmares tonight."
@TheBlackCat02 also wrote: "Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is a nightmare. Looks like they gave Tim Burton £100 and told him to crack on."
The huge ceremony saw 2,000 performers trace the story of Birmingham's history. The games begin on Friday (July 29) and run until August 8, and will see 6,500 athletes compete in 280 medal events.
However some others were quick to commend the ceremony, as @sarahlouisebl tweeted out: "Loving the #CommonwealthGames opening ceremony so far. I love the more informal atmosphere of a Commonwealth Games it feels like one massive party."
@melsertactor posted "The Commonwealth Games opening show has been amazing! Love to this kind of Art and Theatre on our mainstream screens" and @Lauren2209 wrote: "The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is showcasing the arts in this city and it is fantastic! A city with world class venues, a world class symphony orchestra and a world class ballet company amongst others."
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, behind the opening ceremony told BBC News entertainment: "A lot of opening ceremonies are visually spectacular but emotionally quite timid, I think."
"But this one is very emotional. It's got a story to tell. It's about the people of Birmingham. So it's the story of what the city has achieved, and how it's achieved it by the people that are here. It feels like it's Birmingham's turn to shine - and this show certainly shines."
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