Duran Duran will headline the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games next week in Birmingham, England.
“We are so proud to be returning to our home town to close the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony,” drummer Roger Taylor is quoted as saying on the band’s Twitter account.
In a statement, frontman Simon Le Bon called the Games “a momentous event” and added: “We in Duran Duran are honoured to be a part of it.”
Duran Duran will be at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on Aug. 22 as part of its tour in support of last year’s album Future Past. It is the band’s 55th show in Canada in 40 years and its first since 2017.
“We always have fun in Canada,” Nick Rhodes told iHeartRadio.ca last fall. “We like the people, we like the lifestyle and it’s been great to play shows there. Every time we come we have a good time.”
Canada is sending 275 athletes to the Commonwealth Games to compete in 18 sports and five para sports.