Commonwealth Games: Your daily guide to Birmingham 2022 and event schedule

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are officially underway and will run until Monday 8 August in the city centre and across the West Midlands.

And whether you're attending in person or watching from the comfort of your own armchair, ITV News Central is here to provide you with the definitive one-stop guide to getting the most out of following the Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham currently has more than 6,000 athletes from across the Commonwealth competing in 19 different sports during the Games.

Fans lucky enough to have a ticket to any of the events on show will enjoy the experience from one of the official Commonwealth Games venues. These include:

• Alexander Stadium: Athletics and Para Athletics

• Coventry Arena: Judo and Wrestling

• Arena Birmingham: Gymnastics, Artistic and Rhythmic

• Coventry Stadium: Rugby Sevens

• Edgbaston Stadium: Cricket T20

• NEC: Badminton, Boxing, Netball, Para Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Weightlifting

• Sandwell Aquatics Centre: Aquatics - Diving, Swimming, Para Swimming

• Smithfield: Basketball 3x3, Wheelchair Basketball 3x3, Beach volleyball

• Sutton Park: Triathlon and Para Triathlon

• University of Birmingham: Hockey and Squash

• Victoria Park: Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls

• Cannock Chase Forest: Cycling Mountain Bike

• Warwick: Cycling Road Race

• West Park: Cycling Time Trial

• Lee Valley Velo Park: Cycling Track - (in London)

In the run up to and during the games, there are some changes to parking restrictions and road accessibility surrounding the venues.

What’s the full schedule for the 2022 Commonwealth Games?

• Friday 29 July

England's Georgia Taylor-Brown won a silver medal in the triathlon on the opening day of the Games, with Bermudan Flora Duffy taking Gold.

We also got our first sight of women’s T20 cricket and 3×3 basketball.

In London's velodrome, Laura Kenny, Josie Knight, Maddie Leech and Sophie Lewis won the bronze medal, while Dan Bigham, Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Vernon and Oli Wood claimed Silver, behind New Zealand.

• Saturday 30 July

Early-morning marathons were followed by Tom Dean and Duncan Scott's 200m duel in the pool, which saw Dean take a Silver medal for England.

In T20's Cricket, England Women's won by 5 wickets against Sri Lanka.

• Sunday 31 July

Adam Peaty suffered a shock defeat in the 100m breaststroke, finishing fourth, while teammate James Wilby took Gold.

Abby Wood has earned her second medal of the Games after securing a bronze with Team England in the women's relay.

Meanwhile, Para-swimmer Alice Tai won Gold for England in the 28 100m backstroke at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

• Monday 1 August

The first lawn bowls final, men’s triples, could feature “Wonder Bowler” Nick Brett, while judo makes its return to Commonwealth Games action.

Chris Murray won England’s first gold medal of the day, after lifting a new commonwealth Games record of 325kg in the men's 81kg weightlifting final.  

Laura Kenny won Gold in the 10m women's scratch race, her first Commonwealth Games title in eight years.

There are also several high-profile races in the pool.

• Tuesday 2 August

The athletics programme starts today, while we see the last gymnastics finals and penultimate night of swimming.

• Wednesday 3 August

All eyes will be on the the track for men’s and women’s 100m finals. We’ll also see the mountain bike and squash finals.

• Thursday 4 August

Para-powerlifters lift three times their body weight and the one-day competition will feature Paralympic medallists Micky Yule, Olivia Broome and Zoe Newson – we’ll also get to see Geraint Thomas in the cycling time trial.

• Friday 5 August

We’re into the business end of the games with hockey and table tennis semi-finals, netball classification matches and beach volleyball quarter-finals, while the wrestling competition begins.

• Saturday 6 August

A massive middle-distance day at the Alexander Stadium as newly-crowned world champion Jake Wightman takes on all comers in the morning 1500m and Keely Hodgkinson tops the bill in the evening’s 800m.

• Sunday 7 August

The netball, cricket and hockey medals will all be decided within a matter of hours promise an unforgettable day of team sport. We've also got the cycling’s road race, a bumper day of boxing finals and Laura Muir in the 1500m.

• Monday 8 August

The men’s hockey final will be the final event at the games with badminton, diving, table tennis and squash scores all still to be settled before the curtain comes down with the closing ceremony.

Where can you watch the Commonwealth Games if you don’t have a ticket? 

Birmingham 2022 are keen for as many fans as possible to enjoy the games, with official Commonwealth Games Festival sites on offer in the heart of the city and across the West Midlands. 

​​City Centre Sites

Birmingham is playing host to two major festival sites for the duration of the games, with entry absolutely free. 

Visitors to these sites can soak up the atmosphere during what will be the biggest event ever staged in the West Midlands.

And what better locations to enjoy the Commonwealth Games 2022 than two of Birmingham's most stunning and iconic destinations – Victoria Square and Smithfield.

Victoria Square - Thursday 28 July - Monday 8 August:

Over the course of the games, The Victoria Square Festival Site is showcasing more than 150 of the region’s best artists and musicians.

There will also be a full daily schedule, packed with sunrise stretch sessions, together with a disco hosted by Perry the Birmingham 2022 mascot, as well as a huge gathering of up and coming local talent entertaining fans throughout the games.

The Square will also host a "watch party" for the Birmingham 2022 for the Closing Ceremony on 8 August. 

A special celebration, including music and cultural acts, to mark the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence has also been confirmed.

Victoria Square is set to be transformed thanks to a new temporary artistic commission called Connections, which reflects how Birmingham's diverse communities encounter and connect with each other right across the city.

Smithfield - Friday 29 July - Sunday 7 August:

The Smithfield site will see a different cultural partner taking to the Beacon Stage every single day, with DJs, live performances and dance moments all adding to the celebrations.

And if you wish to relax whilst soaking up the atmosphere, Smithfield has you covered, 70 young trees, colourful benches and a number of hammocks will also be on location, with the trees re-homed in gardens and community spaces around Birmingham following the close of the Games.

Tim Hodgson, Senior Producer for Birmingham 2022 Festival and Festival Sites, said: "The Birmingham 2022 Festival Sites are where sport and culture will combine to provide a fantastic free opportunity for local residents and visitors alike to embrace the Commonwealth Games and celebrate together.

"A giant screen with live coverage will ensure that people can keep up to date with the sporting action, but they will also be entertained throughout the day with a vibrant cultural programme, showcasing established and emerging local talent."

Neighbourhood Sites

There will be a number of Neighbourhood Festival Sites located in parks and other spaces across Birmingham designed to combine sport, culture, and food and drink while fans enjoy some of the key moments from the games on a number of huge screens. 

There will also be a programme of performances courtesy of artists and community groups.

The sites will be produced by and for local residents.

The seven free Neighbourhood Festival Sites will be located in:

• Castle Vale Festival Site, located in Farnborough Fields, Castle Vale (28-29 July)

• Relaxed Festival Site, located at Sense Touchbase Pears, Selly Oak (29-30 July)

• Sparkhill Festival Site, located in Sparkhill Park, Sparkhill (30-31 July)

• Edgbaston Festival Site, located at Edgbaston Reservoir, Edgbaston (1-2 Aug)

• Oaklands Festival Site, located in Oaklands Recreation Ground, Yardley (3-4 Aug)

• Handsworth Festival Site, located in Handsworth Park, Handsworth (5-6 Aug)

• Ward End Festival Site, located in Ward End Park, Ward End (7-8 Aug)

Tim Hodgson, Senior Producer for the Birmingham 2022 Culture programme, said: "We are delighted to share the programme of activity and entertainment that will be taking place at each of the seven free Neighbourhood Festival Sites that will be opening their doors in just a few weeks’ time.

"It is fantastic that a variety of local artists and performers will be present at the sites, representing the vibrant scene of arts and culture in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

"Offering a variety of music, dance, workshops, DJ sets and classes, that are truly representative of the city and its people is something we are really proud of."

ITV Central's 'Ones to watch’:

There are some incredible Midlands athletes going for gold in this years Commonwealth Games. Here's a list of the ones to watch:

• Adam Peaty - Swimming

• Abbie Wood - Swimming

• Emily Campbell - Weightlifting

• Sarah-Jane Perry- Squash

• Myles Hesson - Basketball 3x3

• Jamell Anderson - Basketball 3x3 

• Delicious Orie - Boxing

• Sophie Hahn - Athletics