PHOTOS: Commonwealth Games kick-off with spectacular opening

The 20th Commonwealth Games kicked off at Celtic Park in Glasgow on Wednesday with a colourful and spectacular opening ceremony.

India, by the virtue of being the previous hosts, led the parade, featuring more than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and territories.

The teams paraded on the basis of region as spectators were shown videos of the work that UNICEF is doing in that part of the Commonwealth.

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Queen Elizabeth formally opened the Games in front of a 40,000 crowd at Celtic Park.

Competition will begin on Thursday, and organisers said a global TV audience of close to a billion is likely to tune in to watch the event.

A total of 17 sports will take place in 11 days of competition and it will culminate in a closing ceremony at Hampden Stadium on August 3.

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India finished second behind Australia with a record 101 medals in New Delhi in a Games marred by corruption scandals and construction delays but the Delhi Games triggered an ascent in sports achievements with another record-breaking show in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou where India won 65 medals.

Two years later, the country won six medals in London, almost half of the individual medals won in the entire Olympic history.

But in Glasgow, the most realistic target for India would be a third-place finish with the top spot expected to go either to Australia or England.

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Featuring more than 2,000 volunteers, the opening ceremony saw singing stars such as Grammy award winner rock legend Rod Stewart, host country's Susan Boyle, Amy McDonald and Julie Fowlis performing.

The ceremony featured a near 100m wide and 11m high LED screen erected in front of the South Stand at Celtic Park to broadcast images on the night. 

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The Games will see 4,500 athletes from 71 nations of the erstwhile British empire compete for the top honours with superstar sprinter Usain Bolt of Jamaica and middle and long distance king Mo Farah of England expected to set the Hampden Park Stadium ablaze.

A total of 261 medal events across 18 sports will be contested across 11 days in the third-biggest multi-sporting event after Olympics and Asian Games.

The Games will also include the highest ever number of para-sport events with 22 gold medals up for grabs across five sports.