COMMONWEALTH Games organisers have vowed to give Glaswegians the main voice in the opening ceremony as they welcome the world to their city.

David Zolkwer, the Glasgow 2014 head of ceremonies, promised the Celtic Park event on Wednesday night would not merely be a spectacle but would speak directly to the rest of the world.

Zolkwer also claimed that the ceremony would both celebrate the diversity of Glasgow and what the city and Scotland have in common with the 70 other competing nations.

The personal touch is highlighted by the fact that each nation will be introduced to the crowd by a different citizen of Glasgow.

Zolkwer, who directed the 2002 ceremonies in his native Manchester, said: “We knew right from the start that the source of inspiration and the voice and character and personality of the ceremony had to reflect and explicitly include the people of the city.

“So that’s why you will see a lot of Glaswegians and Scots and a lot of people from further afield and you will also hear them.

“We have a mass cast but we have set out to represent lots and lots of individuals. There is relatively little in the show that is about mass synchronicity.

Read more