Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony: 'It's Birmingham's turn to shine'

One of the architects of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Birmingham, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, thinks it will surpass the opening of the London Olympics a decade ago.

The Commonwealth Games will officially begin on Thursday in Birmingham with a lavish three-and-a-half hour ceremony, according to the organisers' estimates, which state that 1.5 billion people will be watching.

"No pressure at all," laughs Steven Knight, the event's executive producer. But Knight is accustomed to large crowds. Peaky Blinders, Birmingham's biggest recent cultural export, was created by him.

He has long served as a proud representative of his hometown, and he recognises that this moment of international attention is a unique chance to fully highlight both its historical accomplishments and contemporary identity. "A lot of opening ceremonies are visually spectacular but emotionally quite timid, I think," Knight says. "But this one is very emotional.

"It's got a story to tell. It's about the people of Birmingham. So it's the story of what the city has achieved, and how it's achieved it by the people that are here. It feels like it's Birmingham's turn to shine - and this show certainly shines."