Black Sabbath guitarist, heavy metal’s godfather, and native son of Birmingham, England are all titles Tony Iommi is proud of. Now he will help launch the 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony as an artistic leader The games are being held in his home city of Birmingham, England later this month ad will also feature saxophonist Soweto Kinch, who will join Iommi as they’ll lead a “dream sequence” piece, titled “Hear My Voice”, based on the lead track from the 2020 film Trial Of The Chicago Seven at the event on Thursday, July 28.

 

 

The ceremony will take place at Alexander Stadium in front of an audience of more than 30,000, with the event also being broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer.

 

Headlining the ceremony will be the new wave group DURAN DURAN, with additional appearances by some of the city’s most celebrated artists under the musical direction of rapper, artist and educator Joshua “RTKal” Holness.

 

Theater producer Iqbal Khan, who is artistic director of the event, said: “It’s been an unbelievable honor 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 lineup will connect with a global audience, as we celebrate the best of Birmingham creativity on an international stage.”

 

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in 19 sports and eight para-sports across 15 competition venues from July 28 July until August 8.