Birmingham Events and Festivals
Britain’s second city has a spectacular line up of festivals and events throughout the year with everything from street fairs, carnivals and parades to sporting events and lots of music.
February
 National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show: this annual event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) features numerous boats, caravans, motor homes and park homes and is the best place to come to see and buy the latest models.
March
 Crufts Dog Show: held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) annually, world famous Crufts singles out the dog of the year. From more than 20,000 pedigree dogs, one animal is chosen for the award after competing in numerous interesting and often comical events.
 Welsh National Opera Spring Tour: the Birmingham Hippodrome in March sees Welsh opera singers exercising their vocal chords for this annual spring event. Works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky are among the greats that are belted out.
April
 Birmingham International Dance Festival:in late April features a month-long program of indoor and outdoor performances from around the world. Companies featured in the past have included renowned acts such as the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, the Kirov Ballet and Cuba's Ballet Rakatan. The Mailbox puts on the Salsa at Sunset finale.
May
 Birmingham Gay Pride: one for the gay community of Birmingham and interested visitors (gay and straight), Birmingham Gay Pride in late May is an annual gay awareness event featuring three days of fancy goings-on in Birmingham's Gay Village.
June
 Summer BBC Good Food Festival: this annual June event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) explores the best in food and drink in Britain with many celebrity chefs, interesting exhibits and bags of fun.
 BBC Gardeners' World Live: in mid-June at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) features the coming together of Britain's leading designers and TV personalities with displays of plants and some one-of-a-kind show gardens.
August
 Birmingham Carnival: features a lively annual parade that travels from Oxhill road all the way to Perry Park. The main event then kicks off in Perry Park, where loads of live music ensues followed by an impressive finale.
 Rath Yatra Chariot Festival: is one for Birmingham’s Hindu contingent and visitors interested in another side of the culture of Birmingham. The event kicks off in mid-August in Victoria square with the parading of colourful chariots devoted to Lord Krishna.
September
 The Evening Mail Birmingham Comedy Festival: is a fairly recent event on the Birmingham festival stage, but it has made quite an impact and gets bigger and bigger each year. Popular comedy acts perform alongside up and coming talent at prominent venues around the city.
 ArtsFest: one for the artsy type, Birmingham’s ArtsFest is one of a kind and the UK's biggest free arts festival, featuring everything from ballet to bhangra and salsa to Shakespeare. Hundreds of unique free events are held at venues around the city centre.
October
 Horse of the Year Show: the busy National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is host to a popular sporting event in Birmingham, where the Horse of the Year Show features five days of exciting competitions and side entertainment.
Halloween Week at StarCity: this late October event runs into November for a week-long collection of exciting thrills at Birmingham's biggest funfair. The event celebrates Halloween with lots of thrilling rides and games as well as live music and stilt walkers.
November
 Bonfire Night in Birmingham: goes off in Pype Hayes Park every year in celebration of Guy Fawkes Night. An effigy of the co-conspirator, who intended to blow up parliament in the infamous Gunpowder Plot of the 1600s, is burnt before the launch of an impressive fireworks display.
 Crafts for Christmas: at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) features traditional and modern crafts and gifts and throngs with people doing their Christmas shopping. The food hall offers a welcome break from the shopping and consists of festive foods and drink.
December
 Broad Street Canal Boat Light Parade: this flashy annual December event in Birmingham's city centre lights up the canal from the National Indoor Arena to the Mailbox shopping complex with a boat parade. Live music also accompanies the event.
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