Birmingham Weekender has revealed its full line-up for August Bank Holiday weekend and it includes a headline DJ set by music star Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
For 2026, the free festival produced by Birmingham Hippodrome and in partnership with Bullring will transform the city into an open-air disco with DJs, dancing and mirror balls, cheekily named ‘Mirror Bull City’.
Performances, installations and pop-up experiences at Birmingham Weekender will take over the city from Saturday August 29 to Monday August 31. Events are spread across city centre streets, in squares and shopping centres and even in the sky above the city.
Matt Evans, Head of Festivals & Sites at Birmingham Hippodrome, said: “Birmingham Weekender 2026 will transform the city centre into a playground of music, performance and creativity. From the spectacular Mirror Bull City open-air disco to breathtaking performances around every corner, our free programme invites everyone to come together and rediscover the city over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Here’s what to look out for:
New Street Station
The train station will come alive with dance, movement and spectacle as visitors encounter Otempodiz by Ertza Dance, an energetic performance blending powerful physicality with driving rhythms, alongside surprise flash mobs from Marshon Dance Company.
In front of New Street Station at 1000 Trades Square, audiences can enjoy performances inspired by traditions from across the world including GARBHby Shyam Dattani and Mira Salat, celebrating Gujarati folk dance, and Kismat Walla by Thingumajig Theatre, a charming puppet production inspired by South Asian market culture.
Rotunda Square
Birmingham’s biggest city centre open-air disco, Mirror Bull City, will light up Rotunda Square with DJs, dancing and mirror balls. Daily takeovers include Always K-Pop hosted by internationally renowned DJ Emkay and Digbeth’s much-loved The Night Owl spinning soul, Motown, disco and northern soul classics.
The programme will close with a Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul takeover with a headline set from legendary DJ, broadcaster and musician Huey Morgan, bringing an eclectic soundtrack spanning jazz, funk, soul and disco.
Victoria Square
Victoria Square will be transformed into a vibrant hub of live music, creativity and family fun. Young Creatives Takeover @ 0121 Stage will showcase the region’s most exciting artists, while The Ideas Factory by HSBC UK invites younger audiences to dream big, get creative and bring their ideas to life.
Visitors can experience ElevateHer – a striking aerial performance across three multi-height tightwire rigs by female-led circus company Daughters of the Wire – as well as street food, free face painting and family-friendly activities throughout the weekend.
Bullring
Inside Bullring, an exciting programme of world-class dance awaits, including 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.
For those seeking quieter moments, St Martin’s Square offers space for reflection withI Have No Nameby El Conde de Torrefiel, an immersive audio-visual installation encouraging people to pause and observe.
Other highlights
Talawa Theatre Company’s powerful Fragments of Us, and spoken word from Birmingham Weekender’s Poet in Residence, Zakariye will perform across the weekend.
Audiences can also enjoy a special performance from City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, as its musical takeover, CBSO in the City, reaches a spectacular finale, with up to seventy musicians performing orchestral favourites.
There will also be Hettie the Highland Cow to see across the city centre and the spectacular roaming dragon Epico from Creature Encounters.
British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted and audio described performances will take place throughout the weekend. Accessible viewing areas will be available, and a team of dedicated access hosts will also be on hand.
Chaophraya Square
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, supported by local environmental and community organisations. Audiences can also experience Walk of the Dandelion, an enchanting large-scale puppet performance by Luke Brown Dance Company.
The festival is brought to audiences by Bullring and HSBC UK, produced by Birmingham Hippodrome and supported by Global Streets and Without Walls, with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet as programme partners and Network Rail, Colmore Life, Central BID and United By 2022 as city partners.