Birmingham: Victoria has officially taken hold of the Commonwealth Games baton in a star-studded celebration in Birmingham which included a surprise performance by legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
Australia’s all-conquering Commonwealth Games team have let their hair down for the two-hour closing ceremony at Alexander Stadium which also marked the official handing over of the baton to Victoria ahead of the Games to be held in four regional venues – Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland in 2026.
Rock star Ozzy Osbourne performs during the Closing Ceremony for the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.Credit:AP
In a contemporary take of the old fashion British pomp and circumstance, the Games flag was folded up and formally given to athletes from Team Australia to hand to the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau.
During the handover, 18 contemporary Indigenous dancers performed against a video backdrop that displayed Australian athletes and the breadth and depth of everything regional Victoria has to offer.
Baker Boy, the 2019 Young Australian of the Year, took center stage with his unique style of rap which he performed in both English and the Indigenous language of Yolnu Matha.
The 25-year-old was followed by Melbourne-born Vanessa Amorosi, who performed at the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony in 2000, and Geelong singer-songwriter Taylor Henderson.
Ozzy Osbourne performs during the Closing Ceremony for the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.Credit:AP
To start the epic finale, Birmingham band Dexys Midnight Runners performed their legendary worldwide hit Come On Eileen to kick off the evening, where five-time Commonwealth Games diver Melissa Wu will carry the Australian flag, having won gold in the 10m platform synchro in Birmingham with 14-year-old Charli Petrov.
The Aussie team added a gold medal in men’s hockey to its tally on the final day of competition to finish the 11-day event with 67 gold 57 silver and 54 bronze – a total of 176 medals.