The South Stand of the famous football ground will be transformed by the 11m high screen, which organisers claim will be the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe and will play a key role in the creation of, what organisers claim, will be a dramatic, immersive visual experience for those attending the Opening Ceremony on July 23, including athletes from across the Commonwealth and international VIPs.

Events company Jack Morton Worldwide are in charge of creating both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games. .

The firm also created the Ceremonies for Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006 and also worked on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The 100m wide and 11m high LED screen will be the biggest ever seen in Europe according to Glasgow 2014 organisers ©Glasgow 2014



Director of Jack Morton Public Events and head of ceremonies and artistic director at Glasgow 2014 David Zolkwer said: "The building of a screen of this scale - running the entire length of Celtic Park's South Stand - is going to add a really audacious dimension to Glasgow 2014's Opening Ceremony.

"Both through sheer spectacle and as a wonderful story-telling device, our goal is for the screen to be a wow factor - a fantastic augmentation to the story we are telling our live audience in the stadium and the many hundreds of millions of people watching on television around the world."

The huge screen weighs around 38 tonnes and will cover 1,020 square metres and the audience inside Celtic Park will be able to view the events happening inside the stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

It will also provide a focal point for the estimated live global television audience of more than one billion which will include spectators at city live sites across Glasgow.

Hidden behind the screen in the space normally allocated to spectator seating will be cast members of the Opening Ceremony and technical support services.

Over one billion people worldwide are predicted to watch the Glasgow 2014 Opening Ceremony on July 23 ©Glasgow 2014



"Glasgow 2014's Opening Ceremony is a wonderful opportunity for Glasgow and Scotland to welcome the world to the Commonwealth Games, to demonstrate our warmth and creativity and show that we love to host a good party," said Eileen Gallagher, chair of the Ceremonies, Culture and Queen's Baton Relay Committee at Glasgow 2014.

"The 'window on the Commonwealth' being created in Celtic Park is just one exciting glimpse of what I know will be a very special evening and just one of the ways through which we can realise our bold creative ambition to showcase our host city and nation in a number of surprising ways."

Auditions for 3,000 cast members for both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies have taken place.

There are still a limited number of tickets available for the Opening Ceremony  and they can be purchased online via the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing website or by contacting the ticket hotline on 0844 826 2014.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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January 2014: Glasgow 2014 marks six months to go by launching search for Ceremonies cast
August 2012: Glasgow 2014 appoint Jack Morton Worldwide to deliver Opening and Closing Ceremonies