Duran Duran: when is band playing Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony, best songs, where are they from?

Duran Duran fans can expect to Hungry Like The Wolf, Rio, Girls On Film at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Fans who are “Hungry Like the Wolf” for spectacle are in for a treat tonight.

Duran Duran will headline the opening ceremony at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will be shown on BBC and the event is organised by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Here is all you need to know:

When is the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony?

It will take place in Birmingham tonight (28 July).

Where is it taking place?

The show is set to take place in the newly-refurbished Alexander Stadium - which can seat 30,000 people.

How can you watch the opening ceremony?

The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will air on BBC One/ One HD as well as iPlayer.

Coverage begins at 7.30pm.

Where are Duran Duran from?

Duran Duran are from Birmingham, it is the reason why they have been picked to headline the opening ceremony.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nick Rhodes is from Birmingham, while John Taylor was born in Solihull.

Founding member Stephen Duffy also came from Alum Rock, Birmingham - he is no longer part of the band.

Drummer Roger Taylor comes from Birmingham.

Singer Simon Le Bon is the only member who wasn’t born in the Birmingham area, he grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and joined the band after going to the University of Birmingham.

When did Duran Duran start?

The band was started in 1978 in Birmingham by John Taylor and Nick Rhodes with Stephen Duffy.

Where does the name Duran Duran come from?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The band gets its name from the character Dr. Durand Durand, who was played by Michael O'Shea, from the sci-fi film Barbarella.

It was released in 1968.

An early venue the band played in Birmingham was called Barbarella.

 Duran Duran  Duran Duran
Duran Duran

What has Duran Duran said about it?

Band frontman Le Bon said: “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is a momentous event for the great city of Birmingham.

“And we in Duran Duran are honoured to be a part of it in our home town.”

What are the band’s best songs and how many will they play?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The group are expected to perform four popular songs from their catalogue.

The most popular songs on Spotify are: Hungry Like the Wolf, Ordinary World, Come Undone, Girls on Film and Rio.

What has been the band’s set list in 2022?

Setlist.fm have pulled together an average setlist played by the band so far in 2022 - based on 17 concerts.

It includes:

  • The Wild Boys
  • Invisible
  • All of You
  • A View to a Kill
  • Notorious
  • Union of the Snake
  • Come Undone
  • Give It All Up
  • Ordinary World
  • The Reflex
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
  • Tonight United
  • Planet Earth
  • Hold Back the Rain
  • Girls on Film / Acceptable in the 80’s
  • The Chauffeur

Encore

  • Save a Prayer
  • Rio

Duran Duran may choose to perform an entirely different setlist for a festival like BST.

Who else is performing in the opening ceremony?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Also among the line-up is Birmingham-born Tony Iommi, who is the guitarist and co-founder of heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

Iommi and acclaimed saxophonist Soweto Kinch will lead a “dream sequence” piece, titled Hear My Voice, based on the lead track from the 2020 film Trial Of The Chicago Seven.

Mezzo-soprano and Birmingham Conservatoire graduate Samantha Oxborough will perform the National Anthem as part of the formal opening of the Games.

She will be supported by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan, and also musicians from the Royal Marines.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A choir of more than 700 individuals, drawn from 15 choirs from across the West Midlands, will also be involved in the event.

They will be led by Carol Pemberton, who is music director of Black Voices, one of Europe’s leading female a cappella groups.

Musicians from across the region will also feature in the ceremony, including percussionist Lekan Babalola, singer Ranjana Ghatak, shawm player Jude Rees, bagpiper Chris Crouch, and djembe player Abraham Paddy Tetteh.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.