The final route of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay through Dudley has been revealed as the borough prepares to become one of the final stops on its epic journey around the globe.

Dudley will welcome the Queen’s Baton on the afternoon of Sunday 24 July with a range of community events in every corner of the borough. The Birmingham 2022 organising committee has announced specific times for the Baton to pass through key locations, subject to changes on the day.

The celebrations will begin when the Queen's Baton arrives in Halesowen town centre for the Halesowen Fun Run. Just before the Fun Run kicks off, Batonbearers will head off on their relay around the town centre at 1:39pm. The relay will then head to Stourbridge, where it will pass through Mary Stevens Park at 2:46pm. Halesowen Scout Band will be performing live on the band stand as the Baton takes in Queen’s Drive, the lake and the Frank Foley statue.

The historic Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley is hosting a free family event from 1:00pm to 4:00pm to welcome the Queen's Baton, which will arrive at 3:29pm. The fun includes hot glass blowing demos, craft activities for kids and a dressed working narrowboat.

The journey through the borough will then continue to Dudley. Batonbearers will make their way down the streets of the Black Country Living Museum from 4.31pm. 

Dudley Zoo and Castle is the next destination for the Batonbearers, who will begin their tour of the zoo at 4:58pm. Lemurs and meerkats will be watching as the relay heads past their enclosures and free tickets are available to join them at the zoo between 4:15pm and 6:00pm.

The council will then be holding a civic event to celebrate the arrival of the Baton at Coronation Gardens opposite the Council House. The relay will continue into the town centre, where 100 local Brownies and Guides and the Got 2 Sing Choir will welcome the Batonbearers.

From there, the relay heads on to Brierley Hill. The Queen's Baton will arrive on High Street in the town centre, then the Batonbearers will make their way up Church Hill to the recently restored War Memorial for a photo opportunity at 6:15pm.

The final destination of the relay will be The Waterfront at Merry Hill, which is hosting a day of free family activities from 12:00pm to 8:00pm. These include live entertainment, dancers, jugglers and stilt walkers, a cycling skills track and food from Digbeth Dining Club. The Baton is expected to arrive at the Waterfront at 6:45pm.

After a day of community celebrations, the Baton will then depart our borough by barge along the famous Dudley No. 1 Canal, ready to begin the next stage of its journey to the opening ceremony on Thursday 28 July. Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:

"We want to bring the excitement of the Commonwealth Games to everyone in Dudley, so I’m thrilled that the Queen’s Baton Relay will be visiting so many popular attractions and destinations in the borough.

"As one of the final destinations before the Queen’s Baton arrives in Birmingham, the buzz will really be building when the relay comes to Dudley. I hope residents will come along to these fantastic events and enjoy our borough’s moment in the spotlight."

Temporary road closures and traffic management measures will follow the relay route. Some longer road closures will be place in Brierley Hill, Dudley and Halesowen town centres to support the delivery of the biggest events.

A full list of road closures during the Queen’s Baton Relay is available at dudley.gov.uk/cgtraffic.

The Merry Hill Centre is also celebrating the 2022 Commonwealth Games at their brand-new Games inspired pop-up event stadium, which will host an 11-day long programme featuring a host of activities, events and viewing zone which aims to encourage visitors to join in, have fun getting active and sample the Games live on the big screen. Jonathan Poole, Centre Manager at Merry Hill added:

“Having the Baton pass through Dudley is a proud moment and we’re really excited to host the finale of the Queen’s Baton Relay for the borough at the Waterfront.

“We’re marking this historic moment for our local community with a day-long celebration featuring a range of free family-friendly festivities between 12pm-8pm on Sunday 24 July. There will be local sports groups performing live demonstrations and taster sessions, a children’s cycle skills track, watersports and much more.

“Visitors can also savour the mouth-watering food and drink delights from street food legends Digbeth Dining Club while taking in the relaxing live entertainment and music. With the convenience of free parking and the opportunity to combine a visit to both the centre and the celebrations it promised to be a great day out and we’re looking forward to welcoming people along.”

For the full list of activities and timings, visit mymerryhill.co.uk/whats-on.