{"id":413070,"date":"2025-09-10T12:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/413070\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T12:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:04:14","slug":"the-international-day-of-birmingham-is-back-this-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/413070\/","title":{"rendered":"The International Day Of Birmingham Is Back This September"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" class=\"img-fluid\" alt=\"Joe Lycett and Mr Egg for International Day of Birmingham\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3_3-Credit_-Khuram-Mizra-Just-Brum-UK--1024x683.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Khuram Mizra<\/p>\n<p>From Black Sabbath to bin strikes, it\u2019s been a year of love and loss for Birmingham. So what better time to come together as a city than the<strong> annual tribute to the historic alliance of Birminghams<\/strong>. Championed by award-winning Brummie comedian<strong> Joe Lycett<\/strong>, the<strong> International Day of Birmingham<\/strong> (IDOB) returns on <strong>Wednesday, September 24<\/strong>, with a jam-packed schedule.<\/p>\n<p>After last year\u2019s inaugural event, which saw the Lord Mayor\u2019s chosen ambassador form <strong>an official Treaty of Friendship with the world\u2019s many Birminghams<\/strong>, Joe Lycett said, \u201c\u2018I am looking forward to once more celebrating this incredibly precious day in the global calendar by shouting \u2018alright bab\u2019 aggressively at the Lord Mayor before sinking 6-8 pints and inhaling a King Kebab at 3am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast year, we made history with the inaugural International Day of Birmingham,\u201d added Lord Mayor Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE. \u201cFrom the brass band parade to the hoisting of the United States of Birmingham flag, it was a joyful celebration of Brummie pride. I am very proud that the event is returning for a second year, and this year is set to be another wonderful celebration of everything brilliant about Birmingham. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know it will be a great showcase of the spirit and humour of our city not only in the UK but also Birminghams across the world. I hope as many people as possible can get involved with a great programme of Brum-based events and activities and celebrate the second International Day of Birmingham.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s headline celebrations see<strong> Professor Carl Chinn MBE hosting a Brummie double bill<\/strong> with \u2018Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham\u2019 and \u2018Joe Lycett\u2019s United States of Birmingham\u2019, followed by a Q&amp;A with Joe Lycett, director Nicola Silk, and historian Randell H Spackman. But keep an eye out for events with <strong>Trevor Beattie, Marc Silk, Janice Connolly, Mr Egg, Tat Vision &amp; Bam Bam<\/strong>, plus plenty more throughout the city! <\/p>\n<p> <b>What\u2019s happening for the International Day of Birmingham?<\/b> <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18683\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"A parade for Intenrational Day of Birmingham\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2_3-Credit_-Khuram-Mizra-Just-Brum-UK_.jpg\"\/>Credit: Khuram Mizra <strong>9:00 \u2013 21:00 \u2013 Photography exhibition: \u2018United States of Birmingham \u2013 Images from a Road Trip\u2019.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>An exhibition featuring photographs of all the Birminghams visited for the TV series, taken by Joe Lycett and the crew (from Sept 24 \u2013 Oct 31).<\/p>\n<p>Location: Zellig, Custard Factory<\/p>\n<p>Free to attend<\/p>\n<p> <strong>13:00 \u2013 13:45 \u2013 Flashbab<\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Join the iconic Alright Bab sign for some unmissable surprises. Collect your Joe Lycett\u2019s \u201810 things you need to do in Birmingham, UK\u2019 alternative itinerary and pick up a free Curly Wurly!<\/li>\n<li> 13.00 \u2013 The fun begins<\/li>\n<li> 13.30 \u2013 Collective \u2018Alright bab\u2019 chant led by the Lord Mayor, followed by a procession down Colmore Row with special guests.<\/li>\n<li>13.45 \u2013 United States of Birmingham flag raising in Victoria Square with the USB anthem and balcony appearance by the President of the USB himself, Joe Lycett.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Location: Colmore Square<\/p>\n<p>Free to attend<\/p>\n<p> <strong>\u200b15:00 \u2013 20:00 \u2013 Brummie Bazaar<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Birmingham Artisan Markets showcases local traders and creatives, including Punks &amp; Chancers, Spirit of Birmingham, The Crackpottery, Breaking Bread, Milan Illustrator and Pip\u2019s Hot Sauce.<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Custard Factory<\/p>\n<p>Free to attend<\/p>\n<p> <strong>17:00 \u2013 18:30 \u2013 Industry Chinwag; the making of Joe Lycett\u2019s United States of Birmingham \u2013 supported by Create Central and Reel Brum<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Join the production team for a peek behind the curtain of this popular 4-part series, which saw Joe Lycett create an official Treaty of Friendship with the other Birminghams of the world. Find out how it was commissioned, how it was filmed and how they survived 2000 miles in a tour bus.<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Old Rep Theatre<\/p>\n<p>Tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_1\" data-tracked=\"1\" data-category=\"click_sales\" data-cp_smn_source=\"secretbirmingham\" data-cp_smn_content=\"international-day-of-birmingham-joe-lycett\" data-cp_smn_term=\"text_cta_1\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <strong>17:00 \u2013 23:00 \u2013 Bab\u2019s Big Blowout<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Join for a night of entertainment with Barbara Nice, Tat Vision and more special guests to celebrate IDOB at the oldest pub in Brum. Make sure to check out Tat Vision\u2019s Mr Egg-decorating workshop!<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Old Crown<\/p>\n<p>Tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_2\" data-tracked=\"1\" data-category=\"click_sales\" data-cp_smn_source=\"secretbirmingham\" data-cp_smn_content=\"international-day-of-birmingham-joe-lycett\" data-cp_smn_term=\"text_cta_2\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <strong>18:30 \u2013 20:00 \u2013 International Day of Birmingham 6KM Run<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>The Lord Mayor will cut the ribbon to kick off the ultimate run through Brum. Experience a 6K guided running tour of Brum\u2019s quirkiest landmarks, all set to the United States of Birmingham playlist. Finish at The Jeweller\u2019s Arms for a cob and optional social.<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Goodsyard JQ<\/p>\n<p>Free but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/the-goodsyard-run-club-international-day-of-birmingham-run-tickets-1665567991699\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/the-goodsyard-run-club-international-day-of-birmingham-run-tickets-1665567991699\" data-action=\"text_cta_3\" data-tracked=\"1\" data-category=\"click_sales\" data-cp_smn_source=\"secretbirmingham\" data-cp_smn_content=\"international-day-of-birmingham-joe-lycett\" data-cp_smn_term=\"text_cta_3\">booking required<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <strong>17:00 \u2013 22:00 \u2013 Mr Eggshibition, + egg scavenger hunt<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>In honour of local legend and the unofficial mascot of Birmingham, Mr Egg, crafty Brummies can contribute to the world\u2019s biggest collection of papier mache Mr Eggs!<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Nest + around The Custard Factory + Zellig estates<\/p>\n<p>Free entry<\/p>\n<p> <strong>19:00 \u2013 Landmark Lighting<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Landmarks of Birmingham, including The Library of Birmingham, Paradise, and Kings Heath High Street, will be illuminated in the IDOB colours.<\/p>\n<p> <strong>19:00 \u2013 Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Celebrate 60 years of Thunderbirds with a special double bill. Local creative legend Trevor Beattie will introduce two newly restored episodes in 4K. Rooted in Birmingham, the series became a global phenomenon. Afterwards, join a Q&amp;A with Marc Silk, the city\u2019s own voice actor for Thunderbirds, Star Wars, and Scooby-Doo.<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Mockingbird, Digbeth<\/p>\n<p>Tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_4\" data-tracked=\"1\" data-category=\"click_sales\" data-cp_smn_source=\"secretbirmingham\" data-cp_smn_content=\"international-day-of-birmingham-joe-lycett\" data-cp_smn_term=\"text_cta_4\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <strong>20:00 \u2013 22:30 \u2013 Who Loves Ya Bab?<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>The headline event features Professor Carl Chinn MBE hosting a Brummie double bill, including a rare screening of \u2018Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham\u2019 and the first episode of \u2018Joe Lycett\u2019s United States of Birmingham.\u2019 Following the screenings, enjoy a Q&amp;A with Joe Lycett, director Nicola Silk, and Brummie historian Randell H Spackman from Birmingham, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Old Rep Theatre<\/p>\n<p>Tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.idob.co.uk\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_5\" data-tracked=\"1\" data-category=\"click_sales\" data-cp_smn_source=\"secretbirmingham\" data-cp_smn_content=\"international-day-of-birmingham-joe-lycett\" data-cp_smn_term=\"text_cta_5\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <b>What else is happening?<\/b> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18684\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Joe Lycett on a Birmingham bus\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_3-Credit_-Khuram-Mizra-Just-Brum-UK_.jpg\"\/>Credit: Khuram Mizra <\/p>\n<p>On top of this incredible Brummie-inspired programme, <strong>Medicine Bakery has created two bespoke treats for the week<\/strong>: a Curly Wurly Salted Caramel Brownie and a Custard Factory Donut. Guests visiting any Medicine venue on the day itself can also say, \u201cI\u2019m here to honour Mr Egg\u201d to enjoy <strong>any egg dish on the menu for just \u00a35<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>To get involved with the International Day of Birmingham celebrations and add your own event <a href=\"https:\/\/visitbirmingham.com\/the-international-day-of-birmingham\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/visitbirmingham.com\/the-international-day-of-birmingham\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_6\" data-category=\"click_non_sales\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Credit: Khuram Mizra From Black Sabbath to bin strikes, it\u2019s been a year of love and loss for&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413071,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-413070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115179910837656025","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}