- Ticket bookings for Birmingham Heritage Week to open at 10am Saturday 15 August at birminghamheritageweek.co.uk
- Birmingham Heritage Week will take place from Friday 11 September to Sunday 20 September 2026
- Highlights of this year’s programme include a celebration of the No.11 Outer Circle bus route, rare public access to the Mailbox to New Street tunnels, the catacombs at Warstone Lane Cemetery, Tyseley Rail Depot and Yardley Conservation Area – with organisers urging early booking
Birmingham Heritage Week opens bookings for its 2026 programme at 10am on Saturday 15 August, with some of the city’s most iconic and rarely-seen heritage sites now available for visitors to book this September – including a celebration of the No.11 Outer Circle bus route, the mail tunnels beneath the Mailbox, Perrott’s Folly in Edgbaston, the Victorian catacombs at Warstone Lane Cemetery and the historic locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot.
The annual festival, 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 go live for booking at birminghamheritageweek.co.uk from 10am Saturday 15 August, with places for the most popular tours expected to go quickly.
Among this year’s most eagerly-awaited events, Transport Museum Wythall is partnering Birmingham Heritage Week with a very special journey. This year is the centenary of Birmingham’s iconic Outer Circle Number 11 bus route so get ready to take a nostalgic ride. Just 50 lucky people will enjoy the opportunity in a 1950s Birmingham ‘Standard’ double decker bus from Transport Museum Wythall, on the southern section of the route.
Heritage Week visitors can now book rare places 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 can also join guided walks around the Yardley Conservation Area, discovering one of the city’s best-preserved historic suburbs.
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 St Mary’s Convent in Handsworth, visits to the Pugin designed St Mary’s Convent in Handsworth and St Chad’s Cathedral, and open days at New Hall Mill – one of more than 25 events taking place across Sutton Coldfield alone this year.
The festival celebrates heritage old and new, with visits to post-war brutalist buildings sitting alongside centuries-old sites. Visitors can also book a place at St Paul’s Convent in Selly Park, which is opening its doors for Birmingham Heritage Week for the very first time. Green-fingered visitors shouldn’t miss the BBC Gardens open day at Thrive in Kings Heath, while further neighbourhood walks are taking place in Stirchley, Longbridge and Yardley village.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy heritage walks exploring Digbeth, the Jewellery Quarter 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 bookings opening on 15 August, festival organisers are urging visitors not to delay, with several of the most popular tours – including the Warstone Lane Cemetery catacombs and Tyseley Rail Depot – expected to sell out within days.
Irene De Boo, Birmingham Heritage Week Co-ordinator, said: “This year’s programme really shows off the breadth of what Birmingham has to offer. From the tunnels running beneath the Mailbox to the catacombs at Warstone Lane and the locomotives at Tyseley Rail Depot, these are places people walk past every day without knowing what lies inside – and Heritage Week is our chance to open them up.
“Bookings are now open, and I’d encourage anyone hoping to join one of our most popular tours to book without delay. These events are always in high demand and tend to sell out within days. It’s a brilliant opportunity to see the city we live and work in through completely new eyes.”
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, Co-Chief Executives, at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are delighted that Birmingham Museums Trust, the University of Birmingham, National Trust, the Birmingham Municipal Charity and Birmingham City Council are once again collectively supporting Birmingham Heritage Week.
“The festival will shine a light on the city’s rich history and culture, providing rare access to hidden gems, showcasing and promoting local heritage, and reinforcing its importance to Birmingham’s diverse communities.”
Elizabeth Graham, Network Rail station manager for Birmingham New Street, said: “We’re excited to be opening the tunnels from Birmingham New Street for Birmingham Heritage Week again, for the second year running.
“Millions of passengers pass through the station every year, but many people don’t realise there is a whole world of railway history and infrastructure beneath their feet while they’re catching trains or moving through the concourse. Heritage Week is a brilliant opportunity to give people a rare glimpse behind the scenes and share more of the story of this landmark station.”
Birmingham Heritage Week 2026: Key dates
Saturday 8 August 2026 (12 noon): Full programme and event listings published for browsing (live now)
Saturday 15 August 2026 (10am): Ticket bookings open (live now)
Friday 11 September – Sunday 20 September 2026: Birmingham Heritage Week takes place
