Mayor Richard Parker has today announced that the West Midlands Business Festival is to return in 2026 following the success of its inaugural event earlier this year.
A statement released by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said that between 2 and 13 February next year, thousands of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the wider business community will get another opportunity to come together for a fortnight of inspiration, innovation, learning, showcasing, and networking.
This year’s festival was organised for the mayor by Business Growth West Midlands, which is run by WMCA and delivered in partnership by local councils. The festival exceeded expectations, with 1,500 businesses getting involved and 4,000 tickets booked for the line-up of 100 events.
Plans for the 2026 festival have been unveiled just a week after the mayor launched the West Midlands Growth Plan to boost the region’s economy by backing businesses to grow and help create thousands of new jobs.
The mayor said: “SMEs are the foundations of our economy and this festival is about bringing them together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate the successes that will get our economy firing on all cylinders.
“The response to this year’s event was phenomenal so we’re bringing it back in 2026 – bigger, bolder, and even better.
“We’re investing £15 million this year in grants and expert support to help businesses grow, and that is on top of the £10 million we spent backing 10,000 firms last year. My Growth Plan takes this even further and will make the West Midlands the most dynamic place in the UK to start and scale a business.”
Thousands of businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs attended events at the inaugural festival back in March. Those attending highlighted the value of the networking opportunities offered by the event, while two thirds said they would implement changes in their businesses thanks to the knowledge they picked up.
From 1 August, businesses can apply to host an event as part of the next year’s West Midlands Business Festival. This can involve incorporating their existing business activities into the festival’s schedule or creating new events.
They can cover any business-related topic, ranging from seminars and insight events to product launches. All events are encouraged to be free to attend to remove barriers for participants, including those early in their careers or in education.
Businesses can register their interest in taking part in the 2026 West Midlands Business Festival at www.wmbf.co.uk.
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