Birmingham Light Festival has proven to be hugely popular, with 99% of audiences wanting the festival to return in 2026.

The inaugural event saw the city-centre transformed into an illuminated, open-air gallery from 19 - 22 February. 11 installations brightened the dark nights with local, national and international artworks popping up in Birmingham’s streets, squares and public spaces.

Birmingham Light Festival drove a city-centre footfall increase of, on average, 71% during the event period (versus the same dates in 2024) with the inaugural event delivering 64,000 visits.

A full programme of over 50 events gave visitors the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the festival, and 74% of audiences surveyed said they travelled to the city-centre specifically to experience Birmingham Light Festival.

The diverse programme of events was brought to festivalgoers with thanks to local organisations uniting behind Birmingham Light Festival to give the city the best possible festival experience. Visitors enjoyed everything from community runs, performances by local musicians and dancers, to craft activities and dining experiences.

Evaluation data paints a very positive picture of the impact of the festival. 97% of visitors felt that Birmingham Light Festival was a good new event for the city. 86% of those surveyed felt safer as a result of the light art installations being in situ, and 85% shared that they felt more connected to the city through the event.

Birmingham Light Festival was made possible with thanks to all five city-centre BIDs coming together for the first time (Colmore BID, Central BID, Jewellery Quarter BID, Southside District and Westside BID). The festival was produced by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces and was brought to life each night by the United by 2022 volunteers. Birmingham Light Festival was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Three legacy artworks currently remain in situ, illuminated every night as the team seeks to progressively brighten city spaces over time. ‘Alright Bab!’ lives in Colmore Square, ‘Ideas Happen Here’ takes pride of place in Newhall Square, and ‘Roof of Stars’ glitters every night on Thorp Street, outside of Birmingham Hippodrome.

For more information about Birmingham Light Festival, visit birminghamlightfestival.co.uk