Birmingham is an undeniably fascinating city, but much of what makes it so interesting to the public is off limits throughout the year. It’s only during Birmingham Heritage Week, which now heads into its 12th year, that we get to explore the city to its fullest.
Bursting with tours, walks, open days and exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences at the city’s most iconic and rarely-seen heritage sites, the annual festival, widely regarded as one of the most popular heritage events in the Midlands, will run for 10 days from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 20, 2026.
The complete Birmingham Heritage Week 2026 programme will be published online from 12 noon this Saturday, August 8, giving you a week to explore the full events before bookings open at 10 am on Saturday, August 15. But if you can’t wait until then, we already have some insider knowledge on what you can expect.
What’s happening at Birmingham Heritage Week 2026?
This year’s most eagerly-awaited events have to be the rare opportunities to venture into the ever-popular Mailbox to New Street tunnels, explore the atmospheric catacombs beneath Warstone Lane Cemetery, and step aboard historic locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot with Vintage Trains.
Other confirmed events already include hard hat tours of Moseley Road Baths, building tours of the Birmingham School of Art and School of Jewellery, Council House tours, visits to the Pugin-designed St Mary’s Convent in Handsworth, and open days at New Hall Mill in Sutton Coldfield.
Green-fingered visitors are also well catered for, with a chance to explore the Guinea Gardens in Edgbaston—a collection of historic allotment gardens dating back to the early 1800s—alongside open days at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Thrive BBC Gardens in Kings Heath and Winterbourne House and Garden.
Visitors can also enjoy walks beneath Spaghetti Junction and tours of Victoria Law Courts and the Victoria Square building stones. Plus, heritage walks exploring Digbeth, the Jewellery Quarter, Chinatown and Birmingham city centre, alongside events further afield in Yardley Village, Northfield, Harborne, Moor Pool and Handsworth.
“From the tunnels running beneath the Mailbox to the catacombs at Warstone Lane and the locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot, these are places people walk past every day without knowing what lies inside – and Heritage Week is our chance to open them up,” said Irene De Boo, Birmingham Heritage Week Co-ordinator.
Birmingham Heritage Week 2026 key dates:
- Saturday, August 8, 2026 (12 noon): Full programme and event listings published for browsing
- Saturday, August 15, 2026 (10 am): Ticket bookings open
- Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 20, 2026: Birmingham Heritage Week takes place
To learn more about Birmingham Heritage Week, head here.
