Brum drums up a spectacular finale

JORJA Smith, Beverley Knight and UB40 are among the acts confirmed to perform at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham.

The Games will draw to a close after 11 days of sporting action with a high-octane production celebrating the musical heritage of the West Midlands.

The closing ceremony, at the Alexander Stadium, will see performances from artists including Apache Indian, Dexys Midnight Runners, Goldie, Jacob Banks, Jaykae and Jorja Smith. Laura Mvula, Ash,

Mahalia and Musical Youth will also be performing, along with Neelam Gill, Panjabi MC, Talulah-Eve, The Selecter and UB40.

In a tribute to one of Birmingham’s major exports of the past decade, the closing ceremony will feature a sequence from the much-anticipated theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby.

British singer Mvula will give a special performance of a newly commissioned track inspired by Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand, the TV series’ theme song.

Written and adapted for the stage by the show’s creator Steven Knight, the theatre production will receive its world premiere at Birmingham

Hippodrome on September 27 as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Martin Green, chief creative officer of the Birmingham Games, said: “With this closing ceremony, we wanted to create a spectacular line-up of global artists from the West Midlands for an exhilarating musical production to conclude an unforgettable 11 days of sport and culture.

“The medley of high-octane performances will celebrate the vibrant energy and cultural heritage of this incredible city, as we bring these Games to a fitting end.”

The ceremony will include a formal handover to the state of Victoria, Australia, which is hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Medallists line up for the games anthems during the highly praised 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.