BIRMINGHAM

A decade on from the inspirational London 2012 Olympics, it’s the West Midlands’ turn to step onto the world stage as they host the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

From July 28 to August 8 events will take place in and around Birmingham, including the city centre’s Victoria Square for the marathon finish and the Cycling Road Race from St Nicholas Park, Warwick. West Park in Wolverhampton will host the Cycling Time Trials, Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield, will stage the triathlon events, and there is mountain biking at Cannock Chase Forest.

The Games’ merch store is open in the Bullring and ‘bull’ mascot Perry will be making appearances in the run-up to the event.

Alongside the Games, the Birmingham 2022 Festival will showcase the region’s rich creativity. Opening the event, Leamington Spa based dance-circus company Motionhouse will wow with aerial spectacle Wondrous Stories, celebrating the people across the region, with seven free performances in Centenary Square.

The Healing Gardens of Bab is an arts programme designed by Birmingham’s LGBTQIA+ communities in collaboration with artists from across the Commonwealth.

Plus Birmingham’s Flatpack Festival will present Wonderland, telling how cinema shaped the streets, lives and dreams of Brummies over the past century.

More info: birmingham2022.com

If travelling by train, look out for Birmingham’s Musical Routes project. Comprising 30 music-themed maps installed at railway stations, it celebrates the musical heritage of the areas where artists such as UB40, Black Sabbath, Duran Duran, Joan Armatrading and Ocean Colour Scene started out.

More info: visitbirmingham.com