00:00 The Birmingham Festival has finally launched and I'm here for the opening ceremony.
00:06 Marking a year since the Commonwealth Games last year here in the city.
00:10 We're set for 10 days of festivities that celebrate the legacy of the Games
00:14 and everything that makes Birmingham the city it is today.
00:18 Well we've come out to Birmingham Festival because it's the fan, it's 10 days of free stuff right.
00:23 It looks amazing here, there's something for everyone, live music.
00:27 It's just a great vibe, it just feels great to be out and about doesn't it.
00:30 Yeah and also I spend all week down in London so actually it's great to come back to Birmingham
00:36 and find out, well apart from it's a fabulous city and I love living here, that there's so much going on.
00:42 The exhilaration of the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham last summer
00:46 is set to be rekindled at this grand opening event of the Birmingham Festival 2023.
00:52 Titled One City, A Thousand Memories, the city's centenary square is on course for a spectacular transformation
01:00 into an enormous open-air festival podium hosting an array of city-wide talent.
01:05 Until August 6th, the daily entertainment extravaganza offered free of charge
01:10 promises to be an all-inclusive, engaging celebration of this city's rich and diverse cultural fabric.
01:17 Seeking to echo the city centre experiences from the Games last year
01:21 the festival boasts a 10-day programme of curated events.
01:25 Attendees can look forward to a spectacular array of live music and inspiring performances,
01:31 interactive creative activities and powerful big-screen presentations
01:35 designed to evoke the shared experiences, magic and lasting memories of last summer.
01:41 Doubling up as a vibrant celebration of the city's creativity,
01:45 the festival spotlights a programme deeply rooted in diversity, inclusion
01:50 and the promotion of homegrown talent.
01:52 With all its elements, this year's Birmingham Festival is set to serve as yet another remarkable testament
01:58 to the city's reputation as a world-class host for major events.
02:03 Throughout the 10 days and 9 evenings, festival-goers will be part of a colossal crowd
02:08 with an estimated 190,000 attendees, compromising audiences, artists, local communities and volunteers.
02:16 This diverse blend of individuals mirrors the multifaceted identity of the city,
02:21 uniting to watch, listen, relax, dance and play in a collective commemoration of Birmingham's rich cultural legacy.
02:29 Being at the festival is just a continuation of the whole thing.
02:34 It brings out the best of people in Birmingham and the environment around it.
02:39 You've got beautiful surroundings here to hold this
02:43 and people are really going to enjoy it.
02:46 We need to make our city known because we are such a great city of culture.
02:51 So yeah, come and get involved and help us do that.
02:54 Support Birmingham. Keep right on. City till I die.
02:59 Do you know what, it's great to see Birmingham celebrating itself.
03:02 I'm not from Birmingham, I've moved here, but we both consider it home.
03:08 It's super diverse, super friendly, great sense of humour.
03:12 And do you know what, it's just great to see it brim with confidence after the Commonwealth Games.
03:17 And this is just carrying on. This is Birmingham's time. It's time to shine.
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