Games close with stunning ceremony

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games came to a stunning close with a surprise performance from legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne.

The legendary Birmingham rocker (pictured) and his band Black Sabbath provided a fitting climax to the show in front of a 30,000 capacity crowd at the Alexander Stadium.

"I love you, Birmingham - it's good to be back!" he shouted as he rose through the stage to round off the show with classic hit Paranoid.

The closing ceremony provided a musical tribute to the West Midlands, with acts such as Dexys Midnight Runners, Apache Indian, Musical Youth, UB40 and Panjabi MC entertaining the crowd amid a parade featuring hundreds of athletes who competed during the 11-day Games.

The festivities brought to an end a memorable sporting spectacle in which more than 1.3 million tickets were sold across 24 sports.

Organisers estimated that more than 500,000 of those tickets were snapped up by West Midlands residents who took the event to their hearts.

More than 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories competed in 280 medal events across 11 days.

The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, officially declared the Games closed after the flag handover to Victoria, the Australian state that will host the 2026 edition.

One of the ceremony's loudest ovations was reserved for Games organising committee chair and former Birmingham Chamber president John Crabtree's heartfelt speech, thanking the 14,000 volunteers for their efforts and the crowds for their support.