First look at the dramatic fire show coming to Birmingham Light Festival 2026 alongside a magical line up of glittering artworks

With just two weeks to go until Birmingham Light Festival returns from February 12 to 15, more details have been revealed on the programme alongside the Birmingham creatives involved.

And there are even more opportunities for local people to be a part of the glittering event which is shaping up to be this winter’s most magical yet.  

The artworks include FORGED where the sky will light up at Bullring by a giant flaming organ as performances from local spoken word  artist, Amerah Saleh and Insurgent, a progressive metal band from the city take place. 

You can see an image from the show below.

Be part of Birmingham Light Festival

And that’s not all. Brummies still have time to be at the heart of the festival, as Birmingham-born artist Anna West and Davi Callanan (idontloveyouanymore) bring their The Matter of the Heart project to Brindleyplace. 

They are inviting local people to become one of the live heartbeats in the show. But you’ll need a special story to tell - and you need to be quick. Applications to be part of the installation in Oozells Square close on February 1.

Applications can be made via the Birmingham Light Festival website.  

The programme of artworks also features Birmingham talent. Artist Jack Quddus (NeonCow)  will be spreading the love on Lower Temple Street with My Heart Belongs in Birmingham  and mural artist Richard O’Gorman will be unveiling this year’s legacy piece, Where the  Trees Begin, in Edgbaston Village. 

Birmingham Light Festival has also added a brand-new event to the programme, with  support from Birmingham City University (BCU) as the festival’s first ever Connectivity  Partner. Love on the Line will invite festivalgoers to Birmingham New Street, during the  festival, to write a love letter to the city. These heartfelt declarations will be on proud display  in light, on the station concourse throughout the festival. 

Outside Birmingham New Street, Reunion will be the perfect greeting for those arriving into  the city by train, inviting them to share in connection underneath the luminous colourful  arches. Visitors will also be able to experience pop-up musical performances from Royal  Birmingham Conservatoire students, all of which will be inspired by human connection. 

The installations create a perfect path across the city, with visitors encouraged to use the  Birmingham Light Festival map to explore on foot. Maps are available to download online, or  can be picked up from the Festival Information Point at Bullring. For those that would prefer  to explore with company, dog walks, group runs and walking tours are also available as part  of the Festival events programme. 

Exclusive Birmingham Light Festival travel offer on West Midlands Metro

Festivalgoers heading into the city by tram, or looking to rest their legs between installations,  can enjoy an exclusive travel offer thanks to West Midlands Metro. Visitors can get up to  15% off day tickets in Zones 1–4 and Zone 1 only, covering the full route from Edgbaston Village to Wolverhampton. To claim the discount, visitors can download the MyMetro app  from the Google Play or Apple App Store and visit the Birmingham Light Festival website to  access the code. 

Over at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, visitors can join even more local organisations such  as Fruit and Nut Village , Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, Sustainability WM and Brum  Biosphere for Climate Conversations; a special climate change event featuring stalls, talks  and activities running alongside festival artwork, Tipping Point.  

'Transforming familiar places into something truly inspiring'

Professor David Mba, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University, the Festival’s  Connectivity Partner, said: “Birmingham Light Festival captures the imagination and energy  of our city, bringing people together through creativity and shared experience. We’re proud to support an event that celebrates artistic innovation while transforming familiar spaces into something truly inspiring for residents and visitors alike. This speaks to our vision for  Birmingham, as set out in our Strategy 2030, and reflects our commitment to creative  partnerships that enrich city life, spark new ideas, and open doors for people from all  backgrounds to connect, learn, and flourish.” 

Alex Nicholson-Evans, Birmingham City Curator and Festival Director, said: “There are just two weeks to go until Birmingham Light Festival is back and we can’t wait to light up the city  once again. This year’s programme is packed with some really exciting artworks and events and we’re so proud that local artists, performers and organisations have played such a huge  part in bringing the festival to life. We’re counting down the days until we can show everyone  what we’ve collectively put together. See you there!” 

Delivered by the city, for the city, Birmingham Light Festival is being brought to life by a  network of local partners including Festival Producers, OPUS, volunteers from United By  2022, placement students from BCU, a whole host of businesses across the city and  founding partners Colmore BID, Central BID, Southside District, Westside BID and The  Jewellery Quarter BID.  

For more information, visit: https://www.birminghamlightfestival.co.uk/