Officials are encouraging people to plan ahead and arrive early for Thursday night’s opening ceremony for The World Games 2022 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
Thursday night’s program features musical artists Sara Evans, Nelly and Alabama, the parade of athletes into the stadium, and a program entitled “Unlocking The Magic: Celebrating Birmingham’s Past, Present and Future.”
Gates at Protective Stadium are scheduled to open Thursday at 6 p.m. The program starts at 7:30 p.m.
The night of entertainment will launch an Olympic-style athletic competition that includes many sports not in the Summer Olympics. World Games 2022 will feature 3,600 athletes taking part in events at 24 venues in the metro area through July 17.
That includes water sports at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, women’s softball at the Hoover Met, lacrosse at UAB’s PNC Field, karate at Birmingham-Southern College’s Battle Coliseum, flag football at Legion Field and gymnastics at BJCC Arena. Boutwell Auditorium will host kickboxing and Sumo wrestling, which is already sold out. Sloss Furnace will feature sport climbing, Parkour and beach handball. Avondale Park will host archery. The CrossPlex will host canoe polo and inline hockey. Barber Motorsports Park will host canopy piloting.
Early arrival Thursday night is advised because of limited parking options and road closures bordering the secure perimeter around the BJCC and The World Games Plaza, officials said.
“This will be the biggest sports party in Birmingham history, and we don’t want anyone to miss it,” The World Games 2022 CEO Nick Sellers said in a news release. “If people arrive early, they can visit World Games Plaza at CityWalk BHM or visit the Uptown entertainment area.”
Here are the road closures for the BJCCC/Protective Stadium/downtown area:
- 12th Avenue North from 16th Street North to 25th Street North
- Rev. Abraham Woods Boulevard from 17th Street North to 25th Street North
- 6th Avenue North from 18th Street North to Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard
Officials are encouraging people to take advantage of the World Games 2022 free shuttle service, “Ride the Line,” which will serve people at more than dozen parking areas, including downtown Homewood, Legion Field, the Birmingham CrossPlex and World Games East Parking. Go here for all the parking locations, times, and more information.
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