Jorja Smith, Laura Mvula, UB40, Dexys and more to close Commonwealth Games tonight
Jorja Smith, Laura Mvula, UB40, Dexys have been announced to perform at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony tonight (August 8).West Midlands acts and other associated figures Beverley Knight, Goldie, Jacob Banks, Ash, Apache Indian, Mahalia, Musical Youth, Neelam Gill, Panjabi MC, Raza Hussain, Talulah-Eve, and The Selecter will appear at the event to round off the multi-sport event that’s been hosted this year by Birmingham.The acts in question have been selected to “celebrate the diverse musical heritage of the West Midlands, championing the genres and trends that run through this great Commonwealth city; from rave to reggae, street and grime to R&B, drum ‘n’ bass and rap”, according to a press release.Masterminded by creative directors Amber Rimell and Bronski from TAWBOX, the ceremony staged at the city’s Alexander Stadium will also feature a sequence from the theatre production Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby. Laura Mvula will perform a freshly commissioned track for the show, which has been inspired by the Blinders‘ theme tune, ‘Red Right Hand’ by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds.The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby is written and adapted for the stage by creator Steven Knight, and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer.