"We need something to brighten it up, we need some joy."
February 12, 2026, marked the return of Birmingham Light Festival, as the city centre transformed into a glowing outdoor gallery for its second annual edition.
Running until February 15, the festival invites visitors to explore 13 illuminated artworks between 6 pm and 10 pm, offering a striking response to winter’s long, dark evenings.
Festival director Alex Nicholson-Evans said: “We’ve got a giant disco ball heart at The Mailbox.
“We’ve got a silent disco that’s completely taken over Victoria Square and loads more.”
She added that the event has grown significantly in its second year and was getting “bigger and better”.
“These are dark winter nights. We need something to brighten it up, we need some joy.
“And I hope that’s exactly what we’re delivering.”
The opening night saw FORGED, which is staged outside the Bullring and Grand Central. At its centre stands a giant playable organ engulfed in controlled flames, creating a dramatic focal point that blends spectacle with sound.
Members of the public can play the instrument, turning passive viewing into active participation.
The installation also features hourly flame-fuelled performances by local spoken word artist Amerah Saleh and progressive metal band Insurgent.
Their collaboration merges poetry and heavy instrumentation against a backdrop of fire and light, reflecting Birmingham’s industrial heritage while spotlighting contemporary talent.
The decision to centre local creatives reinforces the festival’s commitment to showcasing homegrown voices
Beyond the Bullring, the festival stretches across the city centre, turning familiar spaces into immersive art environments.
In Oozells Square at Brindleyplace, The Heartbeat of Brindleyplace features illuminated lightboxes pulsing to the real-time heartbeat of a local person.
The installation transforms an intimate biological rhythm into a shared public experience, connecting individual lives to collective space.
Meanwhile, Edgbaston Village hosts a new legacy piece by artist Richard O’Gorman titled Where the Trees Begin.
Designed to remain beyond the festival period, the work signals a longer-term investment in public art across Birmingham.
Victoria Square has been reimagined as a large-scale silent disco, encouraging visitors to dance beneath illuminated architecture.
At The Mailbox, a giant disco ball heart adds a playful, reflective centrepiece.
Over on New Street, Love on the Line invites visitors to write a love letter to Birmingham, blending nostalgia with civic pride.
The city’s botanical gardens are also promising an interactive, climate-themed event, broadening the festival’s environmental focus.
The festival’s programme also includes pop-up musical performances from students at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
By integrating emerging performers into the line-up, organisers are positioning the event as both a cultural celebration and a platform for development.
This approach aligns with broader regeneration efforts that view arts and culture as drivers of city-centre vitality.
With installations spread across key commercial and social hubs, the festival encourages visitors to explore multiple districts on foot.
For local businesses, the evening footfall provides a welcome boost during a traditionally quieter retail period.
Now in its second year, Birmingham Light Festival appears more ambitious in scale and visibility.
Nicholson-Evans’ emphasis on “joy” reflects a growing recognition of culture’s role in wellbeing and community cohesion.
The festival runs nightly until February 15, offering residents and visitors repeated opportunities to experience the installations.
As temperatures drop and nights lengthen, Birmingham’s illuminated artworks provide both visual spectacle and shared experience.
If opening night is any indication, the city has embraced the invitation to see itself in a new light.
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