FAQs

Have a read of our frequently asked questions

What is Birmingham Light Festival?

Birmingham Light Festival is a new event that will transform the city-centre into a gallery of illuminated artworks. Free to access, it connects curious audiences with the city in a positive, creative and playful way. For 2025, we have 11 artworks on display across the city centre. 3 of these will be commissions staying in situ after the festival as we seek to bring light to the city centre progressively over time. The remainder will be temporary interventions designed by acclaimed artists from across the UK and beyond.

Do I need a ticket?

No - the festival is free and no tickets are required.

How much is the Birmingham Light Festival?

Birmingham Light Festival is free to enjoy. There is an accompanying Events Programme delivered by fantastic organisations across the city-centre, these may have a charge. This includes one-off events, workshops, food and drink offers and some ticketed activities. Please see the Events page for these.

When will Birmingham Light Festival take place?

19–22 Feb 2025, from 6pm–10pm each evening.

Where will Birmingham Light Festival take place?

You can enjoy light installations and performances across the city including the Mailbox, Centenary Square, Snow Hill Square, St Paul’s Church in the Jewellery Quarter and Southside District's Hippodrome Square. You can find out where each installation is located on the Artworks page. You can also check out the Festival Map. Events take place all across the city centre, check the Events page for more information on those.

Have Birmingham City Council funded this event?

No, Birmingham City Council have not funded Birmingham Light Festival. You can read all about our funders on the Supporters page. Permission has been given for Birmingham Light Festival to use Centenary Square and we have paid a license fee to do this. The UK Shared Prosperity fund which has provided funding for elements of the festival is managed by Birmingham City Council.

How big is Birmingham Light Festival?

There are many routes to view the artworks, though if you chose to view artworks in a circular route, it's approximately 2 miles or 3.2km around the city. If you visit all 11 of our installations you will walk approximately 4,000 steps! You can see the locations here and we encourage as many of you who can to attend by public transport and explore the city on foot, walking between installations and events. Everything you will see is family friendly and the installations are designed for people of all ages. Please see our access section for more information on the advised access route, and for more descriptive information for what to expect when you attend.

Where can I find information on the night?

Our friendly staff and volunteers will be on hand around the festival with information and advice to help you make the most of the event. Keep an eye out for them wearing United By 2022 uniforms - they are here to help!

Will there be photography at the event?

Official photographers and videographers will be covering all of our installations and activities for marketing and publicity purposes. By attending these events in both the public realm and privately owned spaces, you are consenting to your image being recorded by OPUS who are the Producers of Birmingham Light Festival and by the five city-centre BIDs. We will also share images with our partners and artists for their use for future marketing purposes, either online and in print. Photographers and videographers will be recognisable in pink hi-vis vests so please feel free to approach them if you would like to request that you / your children do not appear in any event photography. As the event takes place in outdoor spaces we cannot control other people taking images on their phones or cameras. If you do take photos at the event, we ask that you be mindful of others, especially children or vulnerable adults, that are not part of your group.

What should I wear to Birmingham Light Festival?

We will not be selling light up plastic toys, wands or single use items such as glowsticks. If you have items at home, please do bring your own with you to the event to reuse them. We encourage everyone to get involved with accessorising with battery powered fairy lights and any light up items you might have - rather than single use glow sticks. Most importantly however, please dress warmly and appropriately for the weather, as all lighting installations are outdoors.

How many artworks can I see?

We will have 8 temporary installations and 3 new legacy installations across the city.

Where have the artworks come from?

We have a combination of artworks from national and international artists - find out all about these on the Artworks page.

What happens if it rains?

Birmingham Light Festival will still go ahead in the case of rain so please dress for the weather. Should there be high winds or adverse weather, some light installations may need to be temporarily closed, or walkabout acts postponed. Please keep an eye on our Instagram for any live updates, due to the changing nature of the weather, we may not be able to provide updates until the night of.

Are there toilets at Birmingham Light Festival?

You can find the nearest public toilets by looking at our accessibility guide below.

Will there be any fireworks?

No, there will not be any fireworks at this event.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, but please be mindful there will be some amplified music installations and potential for large crowds. Take a look at the Events page for an event for your four legged friends!

General access information

You can find accessibility info specific to each installation on the artwork pages, however below are a few helpful pointers for general access at the festival.

Where can I find informaton about your Audio Descripton Tour?

We are hosting a live Audio Description tour to the artworks on Thursday 20th February. It starts at 6:15pm from outside Library of Birmingham. Please find more information about the tour, and how to register, here.

I have a conditions which is triggered by light or sound – is there anything I need to be aware of?

Please note that two of the installations do have sound effects or a soundtrack as part of the artwork (Flux and Positive Spin). 

One installation, Flux, does contain fast moving lights. If you have any questions about this and would like to speak to a member of the team, please contact hello@birminghamlightfestival.co.uk

I would prefer to avoid busy crowds of people, when is best to attend?

We do anticipate larger crowds, however each installation will have staff and security to manage this. We expect peak times to be between 6:30-8:30pm. so you may want to avoid a visit around these times. Security will be on hand to help manage the crowd and look after you, and will start a queue system if needed.

Where can I find information about travelling into and around Birmingham?

You can read our travel guide here.

Will there be any road restrictions or closures due to the installations?

We have no planned road closures for Birmingham Light Festival 2025.

We wish you a fantastic Birmingham Light Festival! For any further enquiries not answered here please email

hello@birminghamlightfestival.co.uk