Plan your visit
Birmingham Design Festival
10th–12th June 2026
Our full festival returns in 2026, prep yourself by reading all about the festival format below.
What to expect
With over 80 events across multiple venues there’s something for everyone at BDF
Over 40 hours of talks
From upcoming designers to established favorites, with most talks free to attend.
Dozens of workshops
Play, learn & create. Attend one of our many workshops and learn practical skills to bring into your everyday life.
Exhibitions, screenings, tours
As well as our programmed events we have so many things you can do and see to fill your time in Birmingham with joy.
The Design Districts
To aid with navigation and curation of your own festival experience, we section our daytime events into Design Districts that are split based on disciplines. You can spend your entire day in one or move between them to take in everything the festival has to offer.
Graphic
A hub for traditional print design, brand, typography, illustration and advertising. Get messy with screenprints and foil, hear from the best graphic designers in the world.
Digital
Design for screens of all shapes and sizes, expect to find everything from UX design to visual effects. Join designers who craft digital experiences and provoke emotional responses from their work.
Analogue
The place where things are made. Product design, interior design, fashion, textiles, architecture, and more live under the roof of our analogue venues.
Main events
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings
Held at the Giant Screen at Millennium Point, our main events bring everyone together to showcase professionals at the very top of their game.
A typical day at BDF
Tickets for individual talk & events go on sale in May.
In addition to the events listed below we often have satellite pop ups and talks happening in and around the venues. There are around 3 to 5 events available to book onto every hour.
11:00am
Talk 1 in Graphic, Digital and Analogue hubs
(40 mins – free)
Workshops begin
(up to 2 hours – prices range from free to £40
Exhbitions Open
12:00pm
Talk 2 in Graphic, Digital and Analogue hubs
(40 mins – free)
Break
2:00pm
Talk 3 in Graphic, Digital and Analogue hubs
(40 mins – free)
More workshops
(up to 2 hours – prices range from free to £40)
3:00pm
Talk 4 in Graphic, Digital and Analogue hubs
(40 mins – free)
4:00pm
Talk 5 in Graphic, Digital and Analogue hubs
(40 mins – free)
Break
7:00pm
Our main evening event
3 talks across 3 hours with a 30 minute break held at The Giant Screen at Millennium Point.
Prices from £15
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do the events start and finish?
Typically the first events of the day are at 11am and run roughly every hour until 5pm, with a break for lunch. Our main evening events kick off at 7pm and finish at around 10pm.
How many events are there per day?
There are 5 talks that happen at each of the three hubs with a plethora of supporting events that happen in and around each hub, so usually around 30 in total. You will typically make it to around 6 events per day if you fill your boots, including the evening event.
How much does the festival cost to attend?
All of the daytime talks that happen in the district hubs are free to attend. Evening events are priced between £15 for students and £29 for anyone else. Workshop prices are set by the host and cost up to £40, though many of them a free to attend. There are a handful of other events that vary in price, again many of them are free.
Where can I work during the festival?
A number of venues offer the ability to work during the day. There’s plenty of desk space and you’ll be able to catch a talk there too. You can find out more closer to the time.