How Scotland’s shoestring budget Opening Ceremony proved one thing

Opinion: The World Cup had Justin Bieber and Madonna, the Super Bowl had Bad Bunny, but the Commonwealth Games went with something a little more quaint for their Opening Ceremony.

Yet somehow, the stripped-back charm made it even more exciting. Scotland did a fantastic job on a bare-bones budget after Victoria pulled out of hosting at short notice. If it wasn’t for Scotland, there wouldn’t be any games at all.

The Opening Ceremony kicked off on Friday morning (5:00am AEST) with a stellar lineup of Scottish talent, led by a headliner some might not have heard from in a minute: KT Tunstall.

The guitar-strumming songstress, 51, was there front and centre to welcome the athletes, launching to the stage with her hit Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and driving the beat forward with her stomp-box rhythm and powerhouse vocals.

She even whipped out a harmonica to belt out “No Scotland, No Party” – the ever-iconic World Cup chant from their brief tournament run – before launching into her massive track Suddenly I See. It was fun, high-energy, and effortlessly cool… and frankly, it’s hard to believe that banger came out a good 21 years ago.

Then there was Callum Beattie, who naturally emerged from a sea of dancing, disco pink unicorns- perfectly fitting with this year’s Commonwealth Games mascot; a unicorn named Finnie.

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Surrounding him were a troupe of dancers each honouring traditional dance styles from nations right across the Commonwealth, a lovely addition that the audience lapped up.

We also saw Nina Nesbitt singing beautiful reimagination of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). It brought the arena to a halt, and was a great rendition to get everyone ready for King Charles III to address the stadium.

Nathan Evans was the one to kick off the show with an acoustic performance of his heartfelt anthem, Home. It turned into an instant, goosebump-inducing singalong for the Scots – every single word echoed back at full volume.

Beyond the music, the moment belonged to the athletes, who strode into the arena carrying the hopes and pride of their nations. That, and King Charles and Queen Camilla entering the stadium in a TARDIS from Doctor Who. Phenomenal.

While the Opening Ceremony may have lacked the Hollywood spectacle of other huge sporting events we’ve seen in recent months, it seems that was precisely the point.

Small but fierce, Scotland brought character, soul, and pride to the stage, delivering a show that was every bit as entertaining as a big-budget blockbuster.

Against all odds, the country pulled off the impossible: they saved the Commonwealth Games on a shoestring budget and a short timeline.

I fully expected this ceremony to be a complete train wreck, but it seems the chant has been right all along; No Scotland, No Party.