Birmingham Heritage Week is putting the finishing touches to its 2026 programme, with some of the city’s most iconic and rarely-seen heritage sites set to open their doors to visitors this September, including the tunnels beneath the Mailbox, the Victorian catacombs at Warstone Lane Cemetery, the historic locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot, and, for the first time, the unique Perrott’s Folly in Edgbaston.

The annual festival, widely regarded as one of the most popular history and heritage events in the Midlands, will run for 10 days from Friday 11 September to Sunday 20 September 2026.

Supported by Birmingham Museums Trust, the National Trust, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham Municipal Charity and Birmingham City Council, the city-wide celebration will once again offer visitors the chance to discover Birmingham’s rich industrial, cultural and architectural heritage through a diverse programme of events.

The Birmingham Heritage Week 2026 programme and full event listings will be published online for browsing at birminghamheritageweek.co.uk from 12 noon this Saturday 8 August, giving visitors a week to explore the full programme and plan their visit before bookings open at 10am on Saturday 15 August.

Among this year’s most eagerly-awaited events are rare opportunities to venture into the ever-popular Mailbox to New Street tunnels, explore the atmospheric catacombs beneath Warstone Lane Cemetery in the Jewellery Quarter, and step aboard historic locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot with Vintage Trains.

Visitors will also be able to join guided walks around the Yardley Conservation Area, discovering one of the city’s best-preserved historic suburbs.

Also making its Birmingham Heritage Week debut is Perrott’s Folly, one of Birmingham’s most fascinating buildings, which opens its doors for a tour for the first time. Visitors will learn how the tower has evolved from an 18th century hunting tower into one of the world’s first weather-recording stations in the 19th century, and now a 21st century arts space. Rarely open to the public, the tour offers a fantastic opportunity to climb the tower, see the original 18th century plaster ceiling, and take in fantastic views across Birmingham.

The wider programme will include a range of further exclusive tours and walks, with confirmed events already including hard hat tours of Moseley Road Baths, building tours of the Birmingham School of Art and School of Jewellery, Council House tours, visits to the Pugin-designed St Mary’s Convent in Handsworth, and open days at New Hall Mill in Sutton Coldfield.

Birmingham Heritage Week continues to reach well beyond the city centre, with Yardley Village once again taking centre stage alongside neighbourhood walks in Northfield, Harborne, Moor Pool and Handsworth. Green-fingered visitors are also well catered for, with a chance to explore the Guinea Gardens in Edgbaston – a collection of historic allotment gardens dating back to the early 1800s – alongside open days at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Thrive BBC Gardens in Kings Heath and Winterbourne House and Garden.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy heritage walks exploring Digbeth, the Jewellery Quarter, Chinatown and Birmingham city centre, alongside popular experiences such as walks beneath Spaghetti Junction and tours of Victoria Law Courts and the Victoria Square building stones.

With the programme now finalised, festival organisers are encouraging visitors to start planning ahead of what promises to be one of the busiest years yet, with several of the most popular tours – including the Warstone Lane Cemetery catacombs and Tyseley Rail Depot – expected to sell out quickly once bookings open.

Saturday 8 August 2026 (12 noon): Full programme and event listings published for browsing. Saturday 15 August 2026 (10am): Ticket bookings open. Friday 11 September – Sunday 20 September 2026: Birmingham Heritage Week takes place. For more information, visit: birminghamheritageweek.co.uk