The Birmingham Festival has finally launched, and I'm here for the opening ceremony. Marking a year since the Commonwealth Games last year here in the city, we're set for ten days of festivities that celebrate the legacy of the games and everything that makes Birmingham the city it is today.
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00:00 The Birmingham Festival has finally launched and I'm here for the opening ceremony.
00:06 Marking a year since the Commonwealth Games last year here in the city.
00:10 We're set for 10 days of festivities that celebrate the legacy of the Games
00:14 and everything that makes Birmingham the city it is today.
00:18 Well we've come out to Birmingham Festival because it's the fan, it's 10 days of free stuff right.
00:23 It looks amazing here, there's something for everyone, live music.
00:27 It's just a great vibe, it just feels great to be out and about doesn't it.
00:30 Yeah and also I spend all week down in London so actually it's great to come back to Birmingham
00:36 and find out, well apart from it's a fabulous city and I love living here, that there's so much going on.
00:42 The exhilaration of the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham last summer
00:46 is set to be rekindled at this grand opening event of the Birmingham Festival 2023.
00:52 Titled One City, A Thousand Memories, the city's centenary square is on course for a spectacular transformation
01:00 into an enormous open-air festival podium hosting an array of city-wide talent.
01:05 Until August 6th, the daily entertainment extravaganza offered free of charge
01:10 promises to be an all-inclusive, engaging celebration of this city's rich and diverse cultural fabric.
01:17 Seeking to echo the city centre experiences from the Games last year
01:21 the festival boasts a 10-day programme of curated events.
01:25 Attendees can look forward to a spectacular array of live music and inspiring performances,
01:31 interactive creative activities and powerful big-screen presentations
01:35 designed to evoke the shared experiences, magic and lasting memories of last summer.
01:41 Doubling up as a vibrant celebration of the city's creativity,
01:45 the festival spotlights a programme deeply rooted in diversity, inclusion
01:50 and the promotion of homegrown talent.
01:52 With all its elements, this year's Birmingham Festival is set to serve as yet another remarkable testament
01:58 to the city's reputation as a world-class host for major events.
02:03 Throughout the 10 days and 9 evenings, festival-goers will be part of a colossal crowd
02:08 with an estimated 190,000 attendees, compromising audiences, artists, local communities and volunteers.
02:16 This diverse blend of individuals mirrors the multifaceted identity of the city,
02:21 uniting to watch, listen, relax, dance and play in a collective commemoration of Birmingham's rich cultural legacy.
02:29 Being at the festival is just a continuation of the whole thing.
02:34 It brings out the best of people in Birmingham and the environment around it.
02:39 You've got beautiful surroundings here to hold this
02:43 and people are really going to enjoy it.
02:46 We need to make our city known because we are such a great city of culture.
02:51 So yeah, come and get involved and help us do that.
02:54 Support Birmingham. Keep right on. City till I die.
02:59 Do you know what, it's great to see Birmingham celebrating itself.
03:02 I'm not from Birmingham, I've moved here, but we both consider it home.
03:08 It's super diverse, super friendly, great sense of humour.
03:12 And do you know what, it's just great to see it brim with confidence after the Commonwealth Games.
03:17 And this is just carrying on. This is Birmingham's time. It's time to shine.