From 19th- 22nd February 2025, Birmingham Light Festival will transform a series of city centre locations into a spectacular gallery of illuminated artworks, in what will become an annual multi-day event.
Encouraging Birmingham residents and visitors to explore and see the city in a different light, installations and artworks will bring the post-Christmas winter nights to life.
Aiming to create a sense of playful curiosity and spark joy, Birmingham Light Festival will feature at least 8 light artworks, all within walking distance of each other, encouraging visitors to come together and explore the city. Some of the illuminated artworks will even remain in place after the festival, as organisers commit to brightening city spaces more permanently over time.
The Festival will be brought to life with an accompanying programme of events, to be announced in the New Year, with local organisations being invited to be a part of the line-up.
Organised by the City Curator and Produced by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces (OPUS), Birmingham Light Festival is bringing together all five of Birmingham’s central Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) as founding partners of this major event for the very first time. Colmore BID, Central BID, Southside District, Westside BID and Jewellery Quarter BID are working together to create a new and exciting experience for the people of Birmingham and beyond, to brighten up February’s dark nights.
The City Curator role, fully funded by Colmore BID, was created following ‘the ‘Future Business District’ study. This unique study by Colmore BID analysed the long-term impact of the pandemic on city centre places, and outlined recommendations to ensure Birmingham can remain successful as a place to attract business and deliver cultural vibrancy, including the creation of a City Curator role.
The City Curator’s previous projects include the test installation, Light is Coming, which saw a giant, heart-shaped glitter ball and an accompanying silent disco arrive in Snow Hill Square in March. Working with OPUS, the test installation was designed to understand the appetite for future light art events. Over 500 people took part in the silent disco, and footfall increased by 68% across the weekend, compared to the same weekend in 2023. Feedback from attendees was incredibly positive.
Alex Nicholson-Evans, City Curator, said: “As a city we need free, accessible arts and culture more than ever before and I am so excited that we’re able to provide exactly that through the debut of Birmingham Light Festival. We’ll no doubt all need some literal light relief in those challenging post-Christmas months!
We really want to encourage people from across the region to visit the city-centre and experience Birmingham in a different way during the Festival. To be curious, to explore and to have a great time in this fantastic city!
We also know how much local businesses will be in need of a trading boost at this time of year and our test event data tells us that Birmingham Light Festival will deliver that too. We can’t wait to share more about the amazing installations and events programme in January.”
Birmingham Light Festival is being produced by OPUS, a Birmingham based producing house, who create unforgettable outdoor cultural events. OPUS has worked extensively across the city-centre spaces, and previously staged Wondrous Stories, the spectacular outdoor opening act for Birmingham 2022 Festival, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival Sites, a year-long public art programme at New Street Station and Birmingham Festival 23.
Local artists, organisations and businesses will have the opportunity to respond to an open call for light-themed events, activities, or promotions, to coincide with Birmingham Light Festival and be included in the official programme of events. Expressions of Interest can be registered before 5th December.
To be the first to hear about Birmingham Light Festival 2025’s artworks, and programme of events, sign up to the mailing list at birminghamlightfestival.co.uk or follow on Instagram at @birminghamlightfestival.
Local artists, organisations and businesses looking to submit an expression of interest, can find out more about that here birminghamlightfestival.co.uk/opencall
Pictured: Test installation, Light is Coming, which saw a giant, heart-shaped glitter ball in Snow Hill Square in March 2024