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2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Summary

The opening ceremony for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was held at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, between 21:00 and 23:40 BST, on 23 July 2014.

2014 Commonwealth Games
opening ceremony
Stage production at the climax of the opening ceremony, showing models of the Finnieston Crane and Forth Bridge
Date23 July 2014 (2014-07-23)
Time21:00 – 23:40 BST (UTC+1)
LocationCeltic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
Coordinates55°50′59″N 4°12′20″W / 55.84972°N 4.20556°W / 55.84972; -4.20556
Also known asCome on In
Filmed by
Participants

Proceedings edit

Countdown edit

The ceremony began with a dramatic countdown, starting at 30 seconds, which was then interrupted at 15 seconds by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor to announce a partnership with the 2014 Commonwealth Games and UNICEF. During this segment, McGregor claims that the games hope to "team up" with the viewers and would announce further details later in the show. The ceremony then continues with a countdown, starting from 14 seconds, with "The Mother We Share" by Chvrches playing, featuring arial shots of Glasgow, including the River Clyde and Clyde Arc.[citation needed]

Welcome to Scotland edit

The ceremony show begins with a camera zooming in on Scottish comedian Karen Dunbar who is sitting in the audience of Celtic Park. Dunbar stands up and begins to sing in a cappella accompanied by backing dancers, singing a song entitled "Welcome to Scotland". Dunbar is then joined by John Barrowman who emerges from behind a kilt in a car who transports him around the stadium on a tour around Scotland that has been created within the stadium, taking viewers through areas such as Ayrshire, where they focus on the works of Robert Burns, Gretna Green, significant as a place of marriage as the age of marriage in Scotland was lower than that elsewhere in the British Isles. The ceremony then focuses on the works of the River Clyde shipbuilding industry and the various ships constructed in Glasgow on the River Clyde during its peak of production.[citation needed]

The Highlands are represented through a rendition of "Loch Lomond" by Scottish band Runrig. Scottish culture is showcased through a variety of people dancing in costumes styled as Tunnock tea cakes, followed by a makeshift Loch Ness Monster being celebrated as a showcase of Scottish tourism and heraldry. Highland Cow, Highland pony and Dolly the Sheep are mentioned as a further showcase of Scottish culture and wildlife.[citation needed]

The ceremony recognises Scotland as the home of golf with a showcase focusing on St Andrews. Lastly, Barrowman then begins rapidly listing a list of Scottish inventions, such as the telephone, tyre, television and the toilet to name a few.[citation needed]

The segment finishes with Dunbar singing alone on top of the bus with a model of the Forth Bridge. Dunbar then begins singing "Welcome to Scotland" followed by the volunteers used during the opening production waving into the camera as they run off the platform. Barrowman is then seen standing on a constructed model of the Finnieston Crane with the message "Welcome to Glasgow" displayed in an LED screen behind him.[citation needed]

Come on In edit

Dunbar welcomes the crowd to the games and the broadcast cuts to thousands of spectators watching the ceremony at Glasgow Green. Amy MacDonald performs a rendition of "Rhythm of My Heart" in George Square with the public of Glasgow. Following a pre-recorded segment in George Square, MacDonald then sings part of the song in the stadium before welcoming Rod Stewart who then finishes off the song.

Arrival of the Queen edit

 
The Queen and Prince Philip arrive by car

As with tradition at Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies, the Flag of India, Flag of Scotland and the Flag of Australia are raised, with India hosting the previous games in 2010, Scotland hosting the current games in 2014, and Australia hosting the next games in 2018. Susan Boyle performs a rendition of "Mull of Kintyre" to usher in Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The British national anthem "God Save the Queen" was then performed.[1] The Red Arrows fly over by, with blue and white smoke to symbolise the 2014 Commonwealth Games being held in Scotland.

Arrival of the Queen's Baton edit

The Queen's Baton is flown into Glasgow on a sea plane that lands on the River Clyde and is carried by broadcaster and cyclist Mark Beaumont.

Tartan display edit

In preparation for the Parade of Nations, volunteers perform to "Feel So Close" by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, and music included by Andy Stewart as a tribute to his contribution to Scottish music and culture. Volunteer dancers are then seen erecting chairs for the athletes which were sourced across Glasgow. 500 volunteer dancers were used for this segment of the ceremony.

Parade of Nations edit

The ceremony was directed by David Zolkwer[2] and included the 2014 Commonwealth Games Parade of Nations where 71 athletes, bearing the flags of their respective nations and territories, led their national delegations as they paraded into the stadium. The games were formally opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She referred to the Commonwealth's "shared ideals and ambitions" and the "bonds that unite" its members.[3]

During the Parade of Nations at the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, held on 23 July 2014, 71 athletes bearing the flags of their respective nations lead their national delegations as they paraded into Celtic Park in the host city of Glasgow, Scotland. Each team was led out by a Scottish Terrier, wearing a jacket bearing the name of the country, followed by the flag bearer for that nation.[4]

As the host of the last games, India entered first, followed by the rest of the Asian countries competing. Following this was Oceania, Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and finally Europe. The Scotland team entered last, representing the host nation. In all cases nations entered in alphabetic order of their country names in English within their regions (besides India and Scotland).[5]

In honouring the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 tragedy that occurred the week before the opening ceremony, the Malaysian delegation was led by eight athletes in Malaysia Airlines cabin crew uniform while the remaining athletes and officials wore black armbands, and the national flag was at half mast. A minute's silence was also observed.[6]

Countries and flagbearers edit

Below is a list of parading countries and their announced flag bearer, in the same order as the parade. This is sortable by country name, flag bearer's name, or flag bearer's sport. Names are given in the form officially designated by the CGF. The first team to enter the stadium was India, host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, maintaining the tradition of the immediate previous host nation entering first.[7]

Order Nation Flag bearer Sport
1   India Vijay Kumar[8] Shooting
2   Bangladesh Iqbal Islam[5] Shooting
3   Brunei Muhammad Imaadi Abd Aziz[5] Cycling
4   Malaysia Fatehah Mustapa[9] Cycling
5   Maldives Hassan Saaid[10] Athletics
6   Pakistan Azhar Hussain[5] Wrestling
7   Singapore Lim Heem Wei[11] Gymnastics
8   Sri Lanka Sudesh Peiris[5] Weightlifting
9   Australia Anna Meares[12] Cycling
10   Cook Islands Patricia Taea[5] Athletics
11   Fiji Litia Tikoisuva[13] Lawn bowls
12   Kiribati David Katoatau[14][dead link] Weightlifting
13   Nauru Itte Detenamo[5] Weightlifting
14   New Zealand Valerie Adams[15] Athletics
15   Niue Hina Reriti[5] Lawn bowls
16   Norfolk Island John Christian[5] Lawn bowls
17   Papua New Guinea Steven Kari[16] Weightlifting
18   Samoa Ele Opeloge[14] Weightlifting
19   Solomon Islands Jenly Tegu Wini[5] Weightlifting
20   Tonga Uaine Fa Jr[17] Boxing
21   Tuvalu Lapua Lapua[5] Weightlifting
22   Vanuatu Yoshua Shing[5] Table tennis
23   Botswana Nigel Amos[5] Athletics
24   Cameroon Vanetius Njuh[5] Weightlifting
25   Ghana Janet Amponsah[5] Athletics
26   Kenya Mercy Obiero[5] Weightlifting
27   Lesotho Mokhotho Moroke[5] Boxing
28   Malawi Mataya Tsoyo[5] Cycling
29   Mauritius Kate Foo Kune[5] Badminton
30   Mozambique Kurt Couto[5] Athletics
31   Namibia Helalia Johannes[5] Athletics
32   Nigeria Maryam Usman[5] Weightlifting
33   Rwanda Theogene Hakizimana[5] Powerlifting
34   Seychelles Clementina Agricole[5] Weightlifting
35   Sierra Leone James Fayla[5] Squash
36   South Africa Cecil Afrika[18] Rugby sevens
37   Swaziland Phumlile Ndzinisa[5] Athletics
38   Tanzania Seleman Salum Kidunda[5] Boxing
39   Uganda Charles Ssekyaaya[5] Weightlifting
40   Zambia Punza Mathews[5] Judo
41   Anguilla Rechelle Meade[5] Athletics
42   Antigua and Barbuda Daniel Bailey[5] Athletics
43   Bahamas Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace[19] Swimming
44   Barbados Shane Brathwaite[5] Athletics
45   British Virgin Islands Chantel Malone[5] Athletics
46   Cayman Islands Michele Smith[5] Cycling
47   Dominica Brendan Williams[5] Athletics
48   Grenada Kirani James[5] Athletics
49   Jamaica Warren Weir[5] Athletics
50   Montserrat Julius Morris[5] Athletics
51   Saint Kitts and Nevis Antoine Adams[5] Athletics
52   Saint Lucia Levern Spencer[5] Athletics
53   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kineke Alexander[5] Athletics
54   Trinidad and Tobago Keshorn Walcott[5] Athletics
55   Turks and Caicos Islands Angelo Garland[5] Athletics
56   Belize Katy Sealy Athletics
57   Bermuda Micah Franklin[20] Squash
58   Canada Susan Nattrass[21] Shooting
59   Falkland Islands Mike Brownlee[5] Badminton
60   Guyana Geron Williams[5] Cycling
61   Saint Helena Simon Henry[5] Shooting
62   Cyprus Georgios Achilleos[5] Shooting
63   England Nick Matthew[22] Squash
64   Gibraltar Chris Walker[23] Triathlon
65   Guernsey Chris Simpson[24] Squash
66   Isle of Man Tim Kneale[25] Shooting
67   Jersey Steve Le Couilliard[26] Shooting
68   Malta Kevin Arthur Moore[27] Athletics
69   Northern Ireland Martyn Irvine[28] Cycling
70   Wales Francesca Jones[29] Gymnastics
71   Scotland Euan Burton[30] Judo

Programme edit

The programme, which included about 2,000 performers, featured Karen Dunbar, John Barrowman, Amy Macdonald, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle, Nicola Benedetti, Julie Fowlis, Pumeza Matshikiza, Eric Whitacre and the National Youth Choir of Scotland, as well as a message from the International Space Station. The ceremony began with a countdown and a recorded video message from Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, explaining the partnership between the Games and UNICEF.[31]

Following the arrival of the Queen there was a flypast by the Red Arrows display team. The venue featured the largest LED video screen in Europe,[32] supplied by Sports Technology.[33] Scotland's then First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the participants and spectators, and introduced a moment of silence in memory of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster.

The final part of the Queen's Baton Relay was run by 32 Scottish volunteers nominated for giving their time to developing the nation's youth through sport. The baton was then passed to Sir Chris Hoy, who delivered it to President of the Commonwealth Games Federation Prince Imran and the Queen. The display of the message concealed within the baton was delayed by a difficulty in opening the device.[34]

The Games were launched in partnership with UNICEF, to save and change children’s lives. The unique partnership aimed "to use the power of sport to reach every child in Scotland and benefit children in every Commonwealth nation and territory."[35]

Broadcast edit

The ceremony was broadcast by BBC One, and was introduced by Gary Lineker, Hazel Irvine, Clare Balding and Huw Edwards.[36] The estimated worldwide television audience was one billion,[34] with 9 million in the UK.[37]

References edit

  1. ^ "Video: Queen steals show at the Games". 24 July 2014.
  2. ^ Gardner, Lyn (24 July 2014). "Commonwealth Games opening ceremony review – no lack of heart but a lack of oomph". theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  3. ^ Duncanson, Hilary (23 July 2014). "Queen tells of 'shared ideals' at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Press Association. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Scottie dogs 'steal the show' at Commonwealth Games". ITV News. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au Butler, Nick; Osborne, Paul (23 July 2014). "Commonwealth Games: The Opening Ceremony from Celtic Park". Insidethegames. Glasgow, Scotland. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Malaysia pays tribute at Commonwealth Games". The Star Online.
  7. ^ "Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: India leads opening ceremony parade". India Today. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Vijay Kumar named India's flag-bearer at CWG". ibnlive.in.com/. 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Fatehah picked as Malaysian flag bearer for Glasgow Commonwealth Games". Baik Bike.com. 10 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Saaid appointed as Maldives' flag bearer at Commonwealth Games". sun.mv/. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  11. ^ Yong Teck, Lim (2 July 2014). "Dual-contingent flag presentation ceremony mark start of Singapore's 2014 Commonwealth Games and YOG journey". Red Sports. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  12. ^ Horne, Ben (22 July 2014). "Meares picked as flag bearer for Games". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  13. ^ Kumar, Arin (13 July 2014). "Tikoisuva's our flag bearer". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Pacific flag bearers overwhelmed by Glasgow Games". Radio Australia. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  15. ^ Shannon, Kris (23 July 2014). "Adams named as NZ flag bearer". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  16. ^ Naime, Quintina (14 July 2014). "Steven Kari named Flag Bearer at Glasgow Games". pngloop.com/. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Tonga team for Commonwealth Games 2014". Matangi. Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  18. ^ "Afrika named SA flag bearer". Sport24. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  19. ^ Stubbs, Brent (23 July 2014). "Flying The Flag". Bahamas Tribune. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  20. ^ Wright, Stephen (22 July 2014). "Franklin chosen as Games flag bearer". Royal Gazette. Glasgow, Scotland. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  21. ^ "Susan Nattrass named Commonwealth Games flag-bearer". CBC Sports. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: CBC. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Nick Matthew to be Team England's flag bearer at Commonwealth Games". The Guardian. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  23. ^ Shephard, John (14 July 2014). "Team Gibraltar Finally named". vox.gi/. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  24. ^ "Chris Simpson to carry Guernsey flag at Glasgow 2014 ceremony". BBC. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  25. ^ "Glasgow 2014: Shooter 'proud' to be Isle of Man flag bearer". BBC. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  26. ^ "Glasgow 2014: Steve Le Couilliard 'overwhelmed' to be flag bearer". BBC News. BBC. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  27. ^ "Kevin Arthur Moore flag bearer for Malta at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony". Times of Malta. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  28. ^ "Track cyclist Martyn Irvine named Northern Ireland flag bearer". Glasgow Evening Times. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  29. ^ Griffiths, Gareth (22 July 2014). "Commonwealth Games 2014: Gymnast Frankie Jones named as Team Wales opening ceremony flag bearer". walesonline.co.uk/. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  30. ^ McGinty, Stephen (21 July 2014). "Euan Burton named as Commonwealth Games flag bearer". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  31. ^ "Ewan McGregor launches opening ceremony with message from Unicef". Independent.co.uk. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  32. ^ Adam Withnall (19 March 2014). "Commonwealth Games 2014 – on your marks: Glasgow ready for opening ceremony as Scotland promises to show 'what we're made of' – Commonwealth Games – Sport". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  33. ^ "Sports Technology to showcase all the big-screen action of Glasgow 2014 | Glasgow 2014 – Commonwealth Games". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  34. ^ a b Commonwealth Games. "Commonwealth Games 2014: the Queen laughs off baton hitch". Telegraph. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  35. ^ "Unicef | Glasgow 2014 – Commonwealth Games". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  36. ^ "BBC One – Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014, Opening Ceremony". bbc.co.uk. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  37. ^ "Commonwealth Games 2014 opening ceremony scores 7.6m on BBC One – TV News". Digital Spy. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.

External links edit

External media
Images
  Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in pictures, The Mirror Newspaper
Video
  Opening Ceremony – Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, CGF's Official Channel
  • Official ceremonies page

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