Birmingham Festival: plans to hold a city-wide annual event agreed by the council

An annual festival in Birmingham has been agreed by councillors featuring the best of the city’s cultural heritage.

Street food, local bands, heavy metal, bhangra, grime music, theatre and a night time light display are among the many diverse acts that could be included at the event, which is due to be held in each of the 10 constituencies.

But the date of the festival has not yet been confirmed.

BirminghamWorld revealed the motion put forward by the city council’s Conservative group, which included the date of January 14 - the anniversary of when Queen Victoria first granted Birmingham city status in 1889.

The festival is intended to “celebrate our shared heritage and history” and was backed by the ruling Labour group.

But Labour put forward an amendment to strike out the date – with council leader Cllr Ian Ward arguing January was not the right time to hold the event.

He added there are already plans for an annual Birmingham International Festival beginning in 2023 as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy.

There will also be a six-month cultural programme called the Birmingham 2022 Festival, starting later this month.

The meeting heard councillors’ suggestions of aspects of Birmingham’s cultural heritage which should be showcased at a festival – including heavy metal, bhangra and grime music.

What have the Conservative Group said about the plans for a city-wide Birmingham Festival?

Putting forward the festival motion, Conservative group leader Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington) said: “A festival of Birmingham would ensure future generations understand our proud past and future opportunities.

“A festival of Birmingham would give opportunities to celebrate the range of history of each suburb locally and of the city as a whole in the centre.

“Let your imagination run wild with the potential, you could have drones light up the night sky with a dance of bulls in the city centre.

“Think of the inspirational tales of Brummies past that can be told to inspire the children of our city to even brighter futures.

“A festival of Birmingham would not just be a chance to celebrate our past, it would also be the chance to bring investment into our city.”

Arguing January 14 was the right date for the event, he said: “Instead of piling everything into one month – August is an incredibly busy time of year in terms of events happening. It’s also a very expensive time for most ordinary Brummies in the city.”

What did the leader of the council Cllr Ian Ward say about the Conservative motion?

Council leader Cllr Ian Ward (Lab, Shard End) said the city would use the Games as a “springboard for future celebrations” including an annual Birmingham festival.

He said: “The truth is that, thanks to the foresight and bold ambition of the Labour council, we are preparing to celebrate all things Birmingham this summer as the city hosts the biggest and most exciting event in our history.

“The Commonwealth Games will showcase everything that is great about this fantastic city and I’m determined that the Games will be just the start of a brighter future for Birmingham and its people.”

But he said: “We agree that there should be a festival of Birmingham.

“If the national news has taught us anything it’s that some Tories have a lot of experience when it comes to organising parties and social occasions.

“But it appears that that expertise does not extend to Birmingham’s Conservatives who want to organise an annual celebration of our great city in one of the wettest and coldest months of the year.

“A month when people don’t have as much disposable income following on from the Christmas festivities.”

He added sticking to the January 14 date each year would mean the festival would often fall on a week day.

Is there an update on the current festivities being planned around the Commonwealth Games?

Cllr Mariam Khan (Lab, Alum Rock), chair of the Commonwealth Games, culture and physical activity overview and scrutiny committee, talked about the significance of this year’s cultural festival for the Games.

She said: “Today’s motion and the amendment are very, very important but we should not be reinventing the wheel and rather building on the blocks that are already in existence and the commitments that we have already made.

“We are funding the Organising Committee to deliver Creative City – a huge £2 million community arts programme that will run across Birmingham as part of the Games culture festival, the first time that community arts and culture has been integrated.

“The cultural festival for the Games […] launches on February 28 and will run right across the city and the wider region.

“The festival will be engaging 2.5 million people over a six-month showcase celebrating the region’s creativity.

“It’s a real mix of culture and art forms that represent Birmingham and the West Midlands and will be mostly free access for residents meaning that Festival 2022 will be a real touch-point to the Games.”

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