Commonwealth Games puts the spotlight on England's second city Birmingham

Range of sporting events will feature athletes from 72 nations and territories

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  A packed Victoria Square Fan Festival area as Sir Lenny Henry takes part in the Queen's Baton Relay in Birmingham, before the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Getty Images

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  Sir Lenny holds the baton aloft in Birmingham. Getty Images

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  Pedestrians walk across Victoria Square decorated in preparation for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. AP

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  The Canadian team train during a 3x3 wheelchair basketball practice session at the Smithfield site. AP

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  Scotland's Eilidh Gorrell takes part in a gymnastics training session. AP

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  The Vanuatu team at a beach volleyball practice session at the Smithfield site. AP

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  Commonwealth Games branding adorns the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, as the city prepares to host the games. Getty Images

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  A sign post with venue directions in Birmingham. Getty Images

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  A security staff member walks through the NEC as the arenas are prepared. Getty Images

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  A volunteer takes a photo of the Perry the Bull, the official mascot of the Commonwealth Games, at the NEC. Getty Images

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  The Bullring & Grand Central Shopping Centre displays Commonwealth Games branding. Getty Images

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  Members of the public pose with flags of the Commonwealth in Birmingham. Getty Images

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  Pedestrians walk past Commonwealth Games branding in the city centre. Getty Images

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  China Town displays a banner declaring Birmingham to be a 'proud host city'. Getty Images

Critics are calling it the bargain basement games but the opening of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday brings one of the globe's biggest athletics gatherings after the Olympics and World Championships.

More than 5,000 athletes from 72 countries and territories are competing over 11 days in 19 sports and 280 medal events. Organisers have spent just $1 billion on the event that more than a billion people are expected to tune into for the opening ceremony in the English second city. By way of contrast Russia is believed to have spent more than $50 billion staging the Sochi Olympics.

Where are the Commonwealth Games being held?

The Commonwealth Games are being staged in Birmingham in central England, the UK’s second-biggest city which is about 200km north-west of London.

Birmingham was picked after the original host city, Durban in South Africa, pulled out citing financial problems and a failure to deliver on promises made in its organising bid.

The English city was able to step in as a replacement, partly because it was already planning to bid for a future games, and a string of road and infrastructure improvements have been made since the event was moved to Birmingham.

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  Queen Elizabeth II passes the baton to British parasport athlete Kadeena Cox, at the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, at Buckingham Palace. PA

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  Kadeena Cox, the first baton-bearer commences the baton's journey back in October 2021, as Queen Elizabeth watches on. AFP

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  Batonbearer-Anthony Okereafor carries the baton on a Marine Police boat on the River Thames, in London. Getty Images

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  Lucy Walton holds the baton at the top of the Giants Causeway in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Getty Images

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  Sally Orange carries the baton at Stonehenge. Getty Images

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  Founder of the Wave, Nick Hounsfield, holds the baton as he surfs at the centre in Bristol. PA

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  The Queen's Baton Relay is a relay around the world held before the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. Getty Images

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  Sebastian Prajsnar holds the baton during a visit to The Deep, in Hull. Getty Images

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  Jean Dixon is greeted by her mother, Jean Buck, 98, after she carried the baton through Seaham. Getty Images

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  Aimee Willmott Booker carries the baton into Middlesbrough. Getty Images

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  The baton travels by boat during it's journey through Newcastle. Getty Images

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  Beth Tweddle holds the Queen's Baton as it visits Liverpool. Getty Images

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  The relay makes it's way to Ironbridge. Getty Images

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  Justin Mould and Marnie Woolrich carry the baton on a rollercoaster as it visits Alton Towers. Getty Images

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  Parmjit Singh raises the baton in Smethwick, England. Getty Images

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  Aaron Ciesar carries the baton along a river in Solihull. Getty Images

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  The Queen's Baton is greeted by a band as it reaches Solihull in Birmingham. Getty Images

The main venue is Alexander Stadium, for decades the city’s main athletics home in Perry Barr. Other events are being held at Edgbaston cricket ground and University of Birmingham facilities. In a much watched move. primarily because rivals Pakistan and India are in the same group, women's cricket T20 format will be part of the main competition for the first time.

Birmingham is the fifth UK city to stage a Games after London in 1934, Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986, Manchester in 2002 and Glasgow in 2014.

When do the Games start?

Duran Duran are headlining the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. PA

Alexander Stadium will host the opening ceremony on Thursday at 8pm and a royally big fanfare can be expected by the viewing audience.

Steven Knight, the brains behind small screen hit show Peaky Blinders, has created the opening ceremony that will be watched by about 30,000 inside the stadium and millions on TV.

Birmingham-born pop giants Duran Duran will headline the opening ceremony.

UB40, another Birmingham-born band, who first found fame in the 1980s, and local rappers Gilly G and Dapz On The Map have recorded Champion, the games’ theme song.

What is on offer for fans and visitors?

Sir Lenny Henry takes part in The Queen's Baton Relay as it visits Birmingham. Getty

For people who can’t make it to see the events live, a festival zone has been set up in Victoria Square — a pedestrianised area of the city centre.

The site will have live music and volunteers helping fans enjoy the games.

The finishing line for the marathon is also at Victoria Square.

Away from the sports, Peaky Blinders was set in Birmingham, Cadbury’s chocolate factory offers tours, while the Black Country Living Museum and the Jaguar Experience, where tours of the car factory take place, are also major attractions in the area.

What are the Commonwealth Games?

Alexander Stadium is the main venue for the Commonwealth Games. PA

The Commonwealth Games features athletes from 72 nations and territories.

It evolved from the pre-Second World War British Empire Games.

Commonwealth states were originally mostly former British Empire colonies but today that condition is not needed for new members.

The first games were held in 1930 as the British Empire Games, featuring 11 countries and 400 athletes.

It has been staged every four years except in 1942 and 1946 because of the war.

Organisers like to call the event the Friendly Games.

What is the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent countries and territories, home to 2.5 billion people.

The organisation’s roots were linked to the British Empire but now any country can become a member.

Gabon and Togo, both this year, were the last nations to join.