Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to visit Plymouth
Britain's Ocean City will welcome the Baton on July 4
Last updated 11th May 2022
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is confirmed to visit Plymouth during its final journey through England this summer.
Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay - a journey which brings together and celebrates communities across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is set to travel the length and breadth of England for a total of 29 days, before culminating at the Opening Ceremony for Birmingham 2022 on 28 July 2022.
Kicking off on Thursday 2 June, the Baton will spend four days in London, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
The Baton will then resume the international journey and return to England on Monday 4 July to commence a 25-day tour of the regions.
On Monday 4 July, Plymouth will officially welcome the Baton as it arrives from Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall by boat, crossing the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
It will leave at 9.00am and travel on Plymouth Boat Trips’ e-Voyager, the UK’s first seagoing electric ferry.
It will travel past Pier Masters House, the historic emigration depot, before arriving on shore at the Barbican Landing Stage and being carried to the Mayflower Steps. It will then travel past the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe and down Armada Way before finishing at The Box, Plymouth’s newest cultural attraction and archive.
A busy schedule of activities and events are planned for the Queen’s Baton Relay, with opportunities to highlight untold stories from Batonbearers who are striving for change in their community:
- A civic welcome at the Mayflower Steps, in a nod to 4 July and Plymouth’s American connections, with the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and other city leaders
- Passing the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe, which is dedicated to British and Commonwealth sailors who were lost in the First and Second World Wars with no known grave
- A community welcome on the Piazza at the heart of the city centre
- A greeting from local schoolchildren as it arrives at The Box, after which it leaves Plymouth to travel to its next destination in Devon
Thousands of Batonbearers, each with inspiring backgrounds and stories, will have the honour of carrying the Baton during the journey through England, including those nominated in recognition of their contributions to their local community.
One of the confirmed community Batonbearers in Plymouth is Toby Gorniak MBE, Artistic Director of Street Factory CIC. Toby was nominated for the inspirational work he does to empower people, using hip hop to inspire and uplift young people, their families and communities.
Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay began at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when The Queen placed Her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, who had the honour of being the first of thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton.