The XXII Commonwealth Games is taking place in Birmingham this week and it is estimated that over one billion people worldwide will be tuning in.

Raging Bull, star of Birmingham 2022 © Toby Groves

The Games, which is one of the first multi-sport events played out in front of full stadia and arenas since the pandemic, marks an important moment in demonstrating the power of sport to unite people, communities and nations around the world.

Birmingham will welcome 4,500 athletes from 72 Commonwealth nations who will compete across 19 sports over 11 days. The Games is set to be the most sustainable Games in history, with its largest ever sports programme. It is the first major multi-sport event to feature more women’s than men’s medal events and includes more para sports within an integrated programme than ever before.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “Our 72 nations and territories are all here – and Birmingham looks magnificent. The city and wider region will provide the perfect stage for our athletes to compete.

“I believe this event will be one of the greatest and most important editions of the Commonwealth Games in our 92-year history. After such a difficult period, when we could not be together in person, this is a special and emotional moment where we can unite to celebrate the unique power of sport.”

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement.

Dame Louise Martin, Commonwealth Games Federation

One of the highlights of the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony was the show’s star, Raging Bull, which now takes pride of place in the city’s Centenary Square. 

The 10-metre-tall bull is made from machinery from Birmingham and West Country factories. It weighs 2.5 tonnes and can emit smoke and cry tears of blood. It was designed, built, and mechanised by a team of over 50 people from a UK-based special effects company.

The huge, armoured Bull was a central part of the Opening Ceremony. The Bull was pulled on stage by 50 women representing the female chain-makers of the Industrial Revolution who made chains used in the slave trade. The segment featured the women breaking free from their chains to symbolise release from oppression. The ceremony’s protagonist Stella then offered friendship to the Bull, highlighting our ability for compassion and togetherness.

The Bull, which proved a hit with audiences across the globe, is on public display for the duration of the Games outside the Birmingham 2022 Megastore and within walking distance from the free Festival site at Victoria Square.

Raging Bull © Toby Groves

The Commonwealth Games are expected to boost international visits to Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area. Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city after London, and is well-placed as a base for exploring the country, as it is right in the middle of England and Wales.

Birmingham is known the world over for its 18th-century history as a manufacturing powerhouse. Today it is home to a network of restored canals, which are lined with trendy cafes and bars. In the city centre, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is recognised for its pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and Birmingham Botanical Gardens boasts a fabulous 16 acre site with glasshouses of exotic flora. Cadbury World in the Birmingham suburb of Bournville is the home of chocolate making and one of the UK’s most popular attractions.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace © VisitBritain / Lee Beel

Some of the other highlights of the West Midlands within easy reach of Birmingham include Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, impressive Warwick Castle, spectacular Coventry Cathedral, historic Kenilworth Castle and Ironbridge Gorge, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Shropshire.

VisitBritain research shows the positive impact that major sporting events can have on a country’s international standing. Following the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games Britain’s overall ‘nation brand’ improved, so did international perceptions of its welcome.

Visitors who come to the UK to watch sport also stay longer and spend more, spending an average of £1,000 compared to the all-market average of £691 and staying 11 nights versus an all market average of eight.

The Commonwealth countries are some of the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound tourism markets. Australia is a billion-pound tourism market for the UK, its fifth most valuable. India is a significant growth market, its value growing 63% in the five years to 2019 to a record £753 million in visitor spending. Canadian visitors to the UK spent a record £734 million in 2019.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of England, including a visit to Birmingham and the West Midlands, please do contact our friendly team today.