community
Birmingham's community events calendar: What's on this weekend and how to get involved
From the Kings Heath street party to the Digbeth repair cafe, here's your guide to the city's best community events for July 11-12.
How we reported this
Birmingham's community events calendar is bursting this weekend, with at least a dozen neighbourhood gatherings, festivals and skill-sharing sessions taking place across the city on July 11 and 12. The Kings Heath community street party on High Street (between York Road and Alcester Road) kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday with live music, face painting and a local produce market. Admission is free.
Why these events matter now
This surge in community activity comes as Birmingham City Council continues to operate under a Section 114 notice-effectively a declaration of bankruptcy-issued in September 2023. With council-run services reduced, residents and local charities have stepped up to organise more than 30 public events between July and September, according to the Birmingham Voluntary Service Council. The council's events budget was cut by 40% for 2026, meaning almost all summer community events are now volunteer-led and crowdfunded.
Local highlights and practical details
In Digbeth, the Custard Factory is hosting a free repair cafe from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Organised by the Birmingham Friends of the Earth, volunteers will fix small electronics, clothing and bicycles. The group says they mended 142 items at last month's event, saving an estimated 210 kilograms of waste from landfill. Across town in Moseley, the Moseley Exchange on Alcester Road is running a community gardening workshop at 2 p.m. Sunday (tickets £5, available on Eventbrite). Participants can learn to plant pollinator-friendly flowers in the courtyard garden and take home seedlings.
For families, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is hosting a free children's storytelling session at 11 a.m. Saturday, with readings from local authors and a craft table. Places are limited to 50 children, so arrive early. Meanwhile, in Handsworth, the Soho House Museum on Soho Avenue is offering free guided tours of the grounds at 1 p.m. Sunday, as part of a Heritage Open Days initiative that runs through the weekend.
Data from the council's community engagement team shows that neighbourhood events in Birmingham have seen a 25% increase in attendance so far this year compared to the same period in 2025. More than 8,000 people attended the June events alone, according to the team's internal tracking document obtained by The Daily Birmingham. The most popular events remain street parties and repair cafes, which consistently sell out their volunteer spots within 48 hours.
If you're looking to host your own event, the council's Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS) provides small grants of up to £500 for community projects. The current round closes August 1; applications are on the Birmingham City Council website. For a full listing of this weekend's events, visit the Birmingham Community Events Calendar at birmingham.gov.uk/events or call the city's events hotline on 0121 303 1111 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.