Legacy pledge as Commonwealth Games arrive in Birmingham

The Commonwealth Games are opening in Birmingham with royalty in attendance and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising there will be a lasting legacy from the £778 million ($945m) of taxpayers' money that has already been spent.

The opening ceremony, which takes place on Thursday, launches what promises to be the biggest sporting festival in the UK since the London Olympics a decade ago.

Over 11 days, more than 5,000 athletes from 72 countries will compete in 280 events across 19 sports. The first medals are won on Friday.

The event will open with the Prince of Wales in attendance, representing the Queen.

“You can feel the excitement here in this mighty city of Birmingham because the athletes are already here in their thousands, from 56 countries, 72 nations and territories around the world,” the outgoing prime minister told the Commonwealth Business Forum.

“Already you can hear the voices in some parts of the media of those who doubt that the whole thing will be worth it.

A packed Victoria Square Fan Festival area as Sir Lenny Henry takes part in the Queen's Baton Relay in Birmingham, before the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Getty Images

“And people say, can we afford it? Should we have done it with the pressure on the cost of living? Will there be a legacy from the £778 million of taxpayers' money that has gone into these Games?

“And so right now, I want you to know I am here to tell you that I am supremely confident that the answer to that question is yes. A thousand times, yes. I say so because I remember, almost exactly 10 years ago, an identical moment of nerves just before the beginning of the London 2012 [Olympic] Games.”

Mr Johnson, who was London mayor at the time of the 2012 Summer Olympics,