Image source, Gett

Day One of the Games looks a little like this. These are some of the highlights from the first half of the day.

11:00 BST Men's Triathlon - Alex Yee of England goes for gold.

1430 BST Women's Triathlon - Georgia Taylor-Brown of England takes on Bermuda's Flora Duffy.

16:40 BST Women’s team pursuit track cycling - England, including Laura Kenny, are among the contenders.

1720 BST Men’s team pursuits track cycling England and Australia set to face off

Image source, Getty

Just arrived? This is what went down at the Alexander Stadium, through the eyes of Becky Grey...

Birmingham opened its Commonwealth Games in spectacular style with a captivating, hopeful ceremony at Alexander Stadium.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai emphasised the importance of education in a surprise appearance while diver Tom Daley made a show of support for LGBTQ+ rights as the baton relay concluded.

But the biggest shock perhaps came when a 10m tall animatronic bull came steaming into the stadium as part of a ceremony that celebrated the multiculturalism of both Birmingham and the Commonwealth.

As the parade of athletes concluded, each of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were warmly received before host nation England arrived in a cloud of confetti to send the volume skyrocketing with a crowd rendition of We Will Rock You.

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The athletes of Turks and Caicos absorb the sounds of Duran Duran.

Image source, Getty Images

Nick Rhodes on keys. Or maybe Geordi La Forge on a big one.

Is that a whiff of airspray in the air?

Who is this emerging into the spotlight?

It is Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran!

The mullet is long gone, but the tunes remain. Save A Prayer is first up.

The athletes - most of whom would not have been star shards in their parents' eyes when Duran Duran were in their pomp - clap along gamely...

We have lift off!

And Stella, the character who we met at the start of this ceremony (about two and a half hours ago) collects together her star shards, which together form a disco ball that sends shafts of light spinning around the stands.

A burst of fireworks leap off the sky and into the night sky.

The end? Not yet my friends.

The Baton passes from Tom Daley to hockey player Alex Danson, table tennis player Kim Daybell, boxer Galal Yafai, gymnast Max Whitlock, and former hepthathlete Denise Lewis.

Now, it is time for Prince Charles to rummage inside and see what message the Queen has left inside.

There is scope for inter-generational pranking here.

Tom Daley, a winner of four Commonwealth golds in the pool, brings the Queen's Baton into the Alexander Stadium accompanied by a entourage of LGBTQ+ flag-bearers.

It is illegal to be gay in over half of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth. A point made over the public address system.

Dame Louise Martin, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, gives a speech, urging the current Commonwealth class to seize their moment and looking back on her own Games as a swimmer.

Right, the finest humanity the Commonwealth has to offer are crammed into the infield.

Next up is the Commonwealth flag which is carried by six former athletes, including Brendan Williams (Dominica, Athletics, 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games), Lechezdani Luza, (Botswana, Boxing, 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games), Matt Levy (Australia, Para-Swimming, 2018 Commonwealth Games), Nicole Forrester (Canada, Athletics, 2002 and 2010 Commonwealth Games) and Alison Shanks (New Zealand, Track Cycling, 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games).

This was England's entrance. They are milking it for all they are worth selfies and salutes to friends in the stands.

Hosts England get their own extra special welcome, with Queen's We Will Rock You blaring and confetti cannons spraying their payload into the air.

Lots, perhaps all, of England's team are wearing LGBTQ+ flag patches on their red team jackets.

David Langley: Thoughts on the opening ceremony... very out there! Visually good, the canal stage looks great and the bull is spectacular. Also nice to see a bit more of a human element, recent ceremonies have been too LED/projection/augmented reality focused with little heart.

Cyclist Geraint Thomas shares on flag-bearing duties for Wales as he and his team make their way into the Alexander Stadium. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson wishes them well via a video message.

Ohh! Suits you sirs and madams.

Cyprus, who won eight golds on the Gold Coast four years, ago are the first of the European teams to take the stage.

Gibraltar, home to 30,000 people, are next. Rock stars.