'Birmingham Festival 23' to celebrate one year since the Commonweath Games

The Queen's Baton relay in Birmingham
The Queen's Baton relay in Birmingham Credit: Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council has unveiled plans for "Birmingham Festival 23", to mark the one-year anniversary of the Commonwealth Games.

It's being described as a celebration of the city’s creativity, and as a sign of its ongoing commitment to funding culture.

The full programme of events is due to be announced in late June.

The festival will be delivered by the team behind the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival, and will also celebrate the city's rich diversity and home-grown talent.

People enjoying the Commonwealth Games with mascot Perry Credit: PA

What's happening at Birmingham Festival 23?

  • A ten-day programme of free events hosted between 28th July-6th August, in Centenary Square

  • The launch of "Made in Brum", a platform for community groups and creatives to take centre stage

  • Initial partners include arts group Sampad, Fabric and Ace Dance and Music, with patrons Ama Agbeze MBW and "Peaky Blinders" writer Steven Knight MBE

Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, unveils the new Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham Credit: PA Images

Birmingham Festival 23 Patron Steven Knight CBE said: "I'm proud to be a Patron for Birmingham Festival 23 and proud that Birmingham City Council truly values culture.

"The Games are still very fresh in people's minds, it was such a joyful period in the city's history.

"And now, with a great team pulling out all the stops to make this year's events a celebration of the anniversary, people will again have something to look forward to that everyone can enjoy, and it's all free.

"I can't wait to see what the programme has in store."

Black Sabbath's rock legend Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance onstage in his home city of Birmingham to close out the Games Credit: PA Images

Raidene Carter, who was Executive Producer for Birmingham 2022 Festival, said the festival is all about paying homage to the Games.

She says:

"Full of live music, digital content, performance, dance, outdoor lounging, the sun will shine we hope again like it did last year, and it's all about paying homage to the Games and the fantastic time we had in the city last year, but also another opportunity to showcase our brilliant creativity because it shone last year, it was brilliant and we want more of it".

And the Games mascot Perry the Bull was in a playful mood today, "taking over" event filming duties from our cameraman Alex Sheppard:

Mascot Perry the Bull "taking over" our filming duties Credit: ITV Central/Alex Sheppard