Red Arrows Commonwealth Games flight route: When and where to see iconic planes

The show gets under way at 7pm tonight, and is due to run until 10.30pm.

A crowd of around 30,000 is expected to be packed into the Alexander Stadium at Perry Barr, with an estimated TV audience of around one billion people watching at home.

The ceremony will feature the athletes taking part in the Parade of Nations, while the Queen's Baton Relay - which passed through the Black Country earlier this week - will reach its climax after a journey of 90,000 miles around every Commonwealth nation and territory.

Prince Charles will also be present, representing the Queen and making a speech during the ceremony.

However, above the stadium, the iconic Red Arrows will make an appearance during the evening. The iconic display team will be flying from its Lincolnshire base at RAF Scampton towards Birmingham, and will fly above parts of Staffordshire before reaching the ceremony.

The route will take the planes near Alton Towers and Uttoxeter as they head south, before passing just west of Lichfield.

From there they continue south - flying just east of Brownhills, Walsall Wood and Aldridge - and cross Streetley and Queslett as they approach the Alexander Stadium.

After flying above the ceremony, the Red Arrows will turn south east, to fly across Birmingham towards the NEC, at which point they will head north east and return to base.

Here are the timings for the journey from Lincolnshire to Birmingham:

Scampton - 7.35pm

South East of Fiskerton - 7.38pm

North East of Wragby - 7.39pm

North of Claxby - 7.40pm

North East of Willingham by Stow - 7.43pm

North of Brixholme - 7.44pm

Flypast Canwick Lincoln - 7.45pm

North West of Metheringham - 7.46pm

North West of Moulton Seas End - 7.49pm

West of Oakham - 7.54pm

South of Sutton On Trent - 7.59pm

Vicinity of Blackwell - 8.03pm

Vicinity of Heanor - 8.04pm

East of Wootton - 8.06pm

Vicinity of Bromley Wood - 8.08pm

West of Lichfield - 8.10pm

South West of Shenstone - 8.11pm

Flypast Perry Park - 8.12pm

Vicinity of Birmingham - 8.13pm

Birmingham AD - 8.18pm

South East of Besthorpe - 8.25pm

Scampton - 8.26pm