What’s on guide - Summer in Birmingham
Thursday 2, June 2011
Visitbirmingham.com is gearing up for a sensational summer with a whole host of sporting spectaculars, independent music festivals and a brand new food festival on the menu.
With a summer sporting line up ready to kick off, Birmingham is fast becoming a first class destination to witness world famous sporting talent. Tennis star and three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, the fastest-ever American sprinter Tyson Gay and the highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket Sachin Tendulkar will all be in the city to take part in some of the country’s favourite summer sports, including the AEGON Classic, The Diamond League Athletics and Test Match Cricket at Edgbaston.
Birmingham is celebrating its musical heritage throughout the summer with events dedicated to the music, and musical heroes, which have come out of the city. From Home of Metal, heralding Birmingham and The Black Country as the roots of heavy metal music, to the smoother Birmingham International Jazz Festival and the CBSO Film Music Festival, the only one of its kind in the UK, featuring a concert by Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins, Birmingham is alive with the sounds of music.
In October, Visitbirmingham.com is set to launch Food Fest, a new 10 day food festival featuring top-quality restaurants, producers and local cooking talent to make your mouth water, making Birmingham the ideal location for a weekend break this summer.
Further information on festivals and events can be found on our website www.visitbirmingham.com
Festivals & Events – Dates for the Diary
Birmingham is jam-packed with toe-tapping musical events and fantastic artsy festivals, so take your pick from this lot and get it in your diary!
AEGON Classic
Date: 6 – 12 June
Location: Edgbaston Priory Club
The AEGON Classic is a WTA International tennis event on the women's tour held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham. Held at this location since 1982, the tournament is seen as a major warm up tournament for Wimbledon. The 2011 tournament is the 30th anniversary of the event, featuring Tennis star and three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.
www.visitbirmingham.com
Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix (Diamond League) Athletics
Date: 10 July
Location: Alexander Stadium
For the first time ever the Aviva British Grand Prix is coming to Birmingham. All eyes will be on the re-match of Asafa Powell versus Tyson Gay, the contest that set the Aviva British Grand Prix alight in 2010. Jamaican and American athletes will be keen to acquaint themselves with a city they are bound for the following year, when Birmingham becomes the pre-Olympic holding camp for both country’s Track and Field teams.
www.visitbirmingham.com
Aviva UK Trials and Championships
Date: 29 – 31 July
Location: Alexander Stadium
Having taken on the world’s best athletes at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix a few weeks earlier, Aviva GB and NI team hopefuls will return to the Alexander Stadium aiming to be crowned National Champions and in turn book their spot on the plane to Daegu for the IAAF World Championships.
www.visitbirmingham.com
England v India Test Match
Date: 10 - 14 August
Location: Edgbaston Cricket Ground
England return to their most successful ground to battle it out against India in the third npower Test Match starting on Wednesday 10 August 2011, whilst the top domestic teams in the country will face each other in the Twenty20 Finals day in August. Having been a host of Test Match cricket for over 100 years, Edgbaston is undergoing a £32 million face-lift for 2011 which will see the completion of the New Pavilion End in time for the major match-days at the end of July 2011.
www.visitbirmingham.com
MUSIC
Home of Metal
Date: 18 June – 25 September
Location: Venues around Birmingham and the Black Country
The festival promises a series of major exhibitions, film programmes and conferences to celebrate Birmingham and the Black Country as the home of heavy metal. Home of Metal is a celebration of the music that was created in the West Midlands, its legacy and influence across the world. The main event of the festival is a large-scale exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery that will explore the ingredients that together made Heavy Metal.
www.visitbirmingham.com
BASS Festival
Date: Throughout June
Location: Citywide
Now in its sixth year, the month long celebration of British Arts and Street Sounds returns to Birmingham this June. Showcasing the best in urban culture, the festival features a diverse programme of music and arts events in venues across the city. This year’s festival follows the theme of Revolution with artists. For more information on the city’s festivals please see www.visitbirmingham.com
Mostly Jazz Festival
Date: 1 – 3 July
Location: Moseley Park, Birmingham
An open air independent festival, exclusively dedicated to contemporary jazz, funk and soul. Set to surpass the success of 2010’s inaugural event, and for the first time taking place over three days, the Mostly Jazz Festival 2011 will be headlined by The Cinematic Orchestra, Matthew Herbert Big Band and Grammy Award winning, groove jazz legend Booker T.
www.visitbirmingham.com
Birmingham International Jazz Festival
Date: 1 – 10 July
Location: Locations around Birmingham
The 27th Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival takes over the city from 1 -10 July with nearly 200 performances in every imaginable type of venue and nearly all of it free to the public. As Europe’s biggest free jazz and blues party, it attracts musicians and audiences from throughout the UK and from all over the world.
www.visitbirmingham.com
CBSO Film Music Festival
Date: 19 – 23 July
Location: Town Hall / Symphony Hall
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is hosting the UK's only major film music festival, with blockbuster favourites, screenings, talks and celebrity guests. Four events over four days will explore the relationships between music and film including ‘21st Century soundtracks’, ‘Jazz in film’ and ‘John Williams blockbusters’. On 23 July Sir Anthony Hopkins will be in concert at the Symphony Hall for a very special evening of live music and conversation.
www.visitbirmingham.com
Moseley Folk Festival
Date: 2 – 4 September
Location: Moseley Park, Birmingham
This year will be the sixth festival in Moseley Park featuring a healthy mix of traditional, contemporary and downright experimental folk and acoustic music. In 2011 the festival will be venturing out beyond the tree lined boundaries of the park into a choice selection of Moseley Village’s finest pubs where you’ll find sessions, dancing and an array of talented musicians. For more information on the city’s festivals please see www.visitbirmingham.com
Espirito Brum
Date: 16 – 18 September
Location: Venues across Digbeth
Espirito Brum is the UK edition of Espirito Mundo, a cross cultural celebration bringing together artists from Brazil and Birmingham, in a three day festival that forms the first stage in a ongoing global exchange. During Espirito Brum, which will run from September 16 - 18 2011, creative collaborations in Birmingham between visiting and local artists will be in the form of concerts, workshops, recordings and interventions. For more information on the city’s festivals please see www.visitbirmingham.com
Harmonic Festival
Date: 29 September – 2 October
Location: MAC
Harmonic celebrates Birmingham's creative jazz community as well as presenting the best in cutting edge jazz music from the UK and further afield. For the first time in 2011 Harmonic will be using various parts of the fabulous new MAC as performance spaces, featuring a mix of ticketed and free events including Arve Henriksen with Dreams Of Tall Buildings, Food, Mike Hurley's Tasting Notes, Splice and many other bands from Cobweb Collective. For more information on the city’s festivals please see www.visitbirmingham.com
Supersonic Festival
Date: 21 - 23 October
Location: The Custard Factory
Returning to its original home at The Custard Factory, Supersonic will be taking place from 21 – 23 October. Now in its ninth year, the festival has garnered a worldwide reputation for being one of the most exciting events for experimental music, gathering audiences from all corners of the UK and further afield. For more information on the city’s festivals please see www.visitbirmingham.com
Food Fest
Date: 14 – 23 October 2011
Location: Citywide
Description: Friday 14 October will mark the beginning of Birmingham’s new ten day food and drink festival featuring top-quality restaurants, producers and local cooking talent to make your mouth water. The inaugural year of the festival will see festival menus launched by 150 restaurants and a programme of food themed fringe events run by local businesses, celebrating the diversity of the Birmingham’s food scene.
www.visitbirmingham.com
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