One of the largest ever gatherings of elite blind and partially sighted musicians, dancers and athletes are coming together in Birmingham this summer to raise the curtain on a major international sporting event.

The 2023 International Blind Sport Federation (IBSA) World Games is taking place at the University of Birmingham and neighbouring venues between 18-27 August.

The IBSA World Games is featuring more than 1,150 athletes from 70 countries that will be competing across ten sports - and details of the opening ceremony have been revealed.

The opening ceremony is taking place at Birmingham’s prestigious venue, Symphony Hall on 18 August between 6pm and 9pm, where the world’s only professional group of blind musicians, the Inner Vision Orchestra, will be performing.

This will feature two performances from around 15 of the Orchestra’s locally-based musicians, including their premiere You Can Make It If You Try. The group will be led by founder Baluji Shrivastav OBE, who performed at the 2012 Paralympic Games closing ceremony alongside Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

Award-winning dance company Step Change Studios, which is supporting blind people of South Asian heritage through a dedicated programme called Dance Dosti, will present a Bollywood dance medley performed by their students. This will be the first time taking the stage for most of them.

Dance Dosti’s dancers have been rehearsing for the ceremony since April, and one of their performers Esme – who lost her sight following experience of domestic abuse – is set to perform a classical duet.

Also included in the line-up includes Birmingham-born blind DJ, Pervez Hussain, who has overcome sight loss and kidney failure to become a motivational speaker and will be providing pre-ceremony entertainment.

Pervez will be supported by Birmingham’s own New Orleans-style brass band, Heavy Beat Brass Band, providing an upbeat backdrop at the start and end of the ceremony.

The World Games is featuring 10 sports – three of which include men’s blind football, men’s and women’s goalball, and judo which are qualification tournaments for the 2024 Paralympic Games. Other sports and categories featured include men’s partially sighted football, women’s blind football, archery, chess, cricket, powerlifting, ten pin bowling, tennis, and showdown.

To buy tickets, and for more information about the sporting schedule and venues at the 2023 IBSA World Games, visit IBSAGames2023.co.uk.