Melbourne all set for Exciting Commonwealth Games

Some 4,500 of the finest athletes from 71 countries will be aiming for top positions at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

On March 15, the Queen’s baton will arrive at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where 90,000 spectators will cheer the start of the XVIII Commonwealth Games at the Opening Ceremony, heralding 12 days of intensive competition.

As the Commonwealth Games organisers get geared up for this spectacular sporting event, this year’s Games will involve over 15,000 volunteers from around Australia to assist the public in various vocations. These volunteers have also been roped in to assist athletes at the Games Village, where the athletes will be staying.

As Melbourne welcomes some of the world’s best athletes, the city will host one of the largest cultural festival events ever held in Australia. Festival Melbourne 2006 will feature 11 days of non-stop music, dance, circus, street theatre and visual arts in a wide variety of venues across the State of Victoria - more than 2500 performing artistes from around Australia and the Commonwealth will be part of this cultural extravaganza. What’s even more exciting? These performances are free to the public!

The city will be buzzing day and night at live sites including Federation Square, the Alexandra Gardens, the Sydney Myer Music Bowl, the Arts Precinct, Docklands and right across Melbourne. The excitement will also reach the regional Victorian towns, with festivals in Ballarat, Geelong, Moe and Bendigo. These on-ground activities will start in the weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremony and culminate in a rush of events across the arts venues and public spaces of Melbourne during the Games.

Visitors and locals will experience round the clock activities that start during the day that will continue well into the evenings. There will be three artistic programs, performing arts, exhibitions and a spectacular youth program.

The performing arts program will offer an exciting range of acts including circus, street performances, dance, music and acrobatics. The exhibitions program will include photography, installations, indigenous carving, textiles and moving images.

One of the many highlights in the 2006 Contemporary Commonwealth exhibition is the collaboration between the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which explores new forms of narrative, documentary and cartography and the themes of migration and exchange. 

A spectacular youth program will offer a colourful program of dance, music, street theatre and visual arts.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games will be one of the largest shows ever staged in Victoria involving an extraordinary cross section of the community, brought together in new ways to create one of the largest community events in Victoria’s history. Up to 8000 performers, volunteers and athletes from across the Commonwealth will be involved in this colourful celebration of multiculturalism, spirit and the people of the 71 participating nations.

Melbourne’s public transport services will move visitors from venue to accommodation with ease and what’s even better is that Commonwealth Games tickets entitle them to free public transport on trains, trams and buses on the day of the event within metropolitan Melbourne.

The Commonwealth Games runs from 15-26 March 2006.

See other recent news regarding: Melbourne