The artists will take centre stage and perform in the Closing Ceremony at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Australian icon Vanessa Amorosi will close this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham alongside homegrown talent Baker Boy and Geelong’s own singer-songwriter Taylor Henderson as Victoria prepares to welcome the sporting event in 2026.
No stranger to representing Australia on the international stage, Vanessa has previously performed her international anthem ‘Heroes Live Forever’ at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. More recently Vanessa also took to the stage at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras where she lit up the Stadium with her feel-good smash ‘Absolutely Everybody’.
Keep up with the latest music news, releases and interviews here.
Putting Geelong on the global map, Taylor Henderson is a renowned Ceres-raised singer, who shot to fame in 2013 when he was the runner-up on the X Factor and now has two #1 ARIA albums to his name. He has since been entertaining his fans around the country, and charming people with his soothing vocals.
View this post on Instagram
The spotlight however will be on home-grown talent Baker Boy when he takes centre stage and performs in the Closing Ceremony at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Young Australian of the Year, Danzal Baker OAM, known as Baker Boy, will use his unique style of rap music to help a worldwide audience of up to one billion people turn their attention to regional Victoria – the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Baker Boy’s performance will follow the Flag Handover Ceremony when the Commonwealth Games flag will be handed to Her Excellency, the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria.
Victoria’s role in the Closing Ceremony will be an electrifying fusion of First Peoples’ traditions and contemporary performances celebrating what makes regional Victoria great.
Elders from each of the Traditional Owners – Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung (Melbourne), Wadawurrung (Geelong and Ballarat), Dja Dja Wurrung (Bendigo) and Gunaikurnai (Gippsland) will invite the Commonwealth Games to their lands in 2026.
The Elders will each present a carved message stick to Commonwealth Games Federation President, Dame Louise Martin DBE. The message stick represents an invitation to walk on Country in 2026 when Victoria will stage the Commonwealth Games in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland.
Baker Boy, Amorosi and Henderson and contemporary dancers will perform against a video backdrop that displays Australian athletes and a highlights package of what regional Victoria has to offer.
Four young Victorians from regional TAFEs were given the once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in the creation of Victoria’s role in the Closing Ceremony. The students were selected from each of the four host regions and learnt important skills like stage management, administration and event production during the rehearsals in Melbourne.
The video will show a combination of arts, sports culture and breathtaking natural beauty, introducing the world to Victoria’s 2026 host cities, its people, diverse culture and hospitality.
Regional Victoria has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games
“Victoria 2026 will be handed the baton and will be ready to invite athletes and spectators from around the world to experience everything our amazing regions have to offer during the Birmingham Closing Ceremony,’’ says Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery Jacinta Allan.
“We are proud that the immensely talented Baker Boy and the four Elders are playing such an important part in the Closing Ceremony in Birmingham.”
The Commonwealth Games will be held in Victoria from March 17-29 and it will create more than 600 full-time equivalent jobs before the Games, 3900 jobs during the games and a further 3000 jobs beyond the closing ceremony.
Tune into the Birmingham 2022 Closing Ceremony at 5am AEST August 9th (8pm BST August 8th) to watch the flag handover to the State of Victoria for what’s set to be an incredible celebration.
Read more here.
