Birmingham Weekender will bring a mix of incredible performances and creative installations to the city centre this August—and all for free! You should expect more than 100,000 visitors across the Bank Holiday weekend, as hundreds of artists transform iconic landmarks like the Bullring, Victoria Square and New Street Station.
From Saturday, August 29, to Monday, August 31, a jam-packed programme will present international productions and installations in partnership with Global Streets, innovative outdoor arts through Without Walls and performances from local creatives, creating moments of joy, wonder and connection.
What will be the Birmingham Weekender highlights?
Birmingham city centre will be transformed into an open-air disco, Mirror Bull City, that will light up Rotunda Square with DJs, dancing and mirror balls—including daily takeovers from internationally renowned DJ Emkay and legendary DJ, broadcaster and musician Huey Morgan.
Victoria Square will host Birmingham Hippodrome’s Young Advocates, a group of young people aged 16-25 who are shaping and influencing the work of the Hippodrome, and showcase the region’s most exciting artists, alongside ElevateHer, an aerial performance across three multi-height tightwire rigs by a female-led circus.
Inside the Bullring, catch ballet showcases from Birmingham Royal Ballet, inclusive workshops and performance takeovers from Propel Dance, and a newly created performance brought to Birmingham by São Paulo Dance Company and performed by a talented group of emerging young dancers.
The Weekender Green Hub in Chaophraya Square invites visitors to discover how small actions can make a big difference with a pop-up pocket garden, while you can also experience Walk of the Dandelion, an enchanting large-scale puppet performance by Luke Brown Dance Company.
For those seeking quieter moments, St Martin’s Square offers space for reflection with I Have No Name by El Conde de Torrefiel, an immersive audio-visual installation encouraging people to pause. Plus, see special performances from City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, as CBSO in the City, coincides over the weekend
Elsewhere, keep an eye out for spoken word from Birmingham Weekender’s Poet in Residence, Zakariye; surprise flash mobs from Marshon Dance Company in New Street Station; and a charming puppet production inspired by South Asian market culture at 1000 Trades… and so much more!
Birmingham Weekender 2026 is by the Bullring and HSBC UK and produced by Birmingham Hippodrome, in partnership with international outdoor arts event network Global Streets, with public funding from Arts Council England and is part of Without Walls, which brings outdoor arts to towns and cities across England.
Birmingham Weekender runs from Saturday, August 29, to Monday, August 31. For the whole programme, head here.
