CBSO in the City returns this weekend from 27 to 31 August, with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra heading beyond its home at Symphony Hall to deliver 20 free performances in public spaces across Birmingham and the surrounding area.
Tens of thousands of Birmingham residents will encounter the orchestra for performances in unexpected places – from New Street Station and the Bullring to Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the city’s Children’s Hospital. CBSO Music Director, Kazuki Yamada, will also be performing piano on a CBSO-branded tram – and members of the public will even get the chance to conduct the orchestra.
All public performances are free (except for admission fees for some host venues) and residents that experience a CBSO performance will have to chance to pick up a golden ticket – which means that for just £1, they will be able to book a CBSO concert of their choice in the 2026-27 Season at Symphony Hall, which starts in September.
Emma Stenning, CBSO Chief Executive, commented:
CBSO in the City is about us doing something special to celebrate our home city and sharing the gift of free music to people of all ages and from all walks of life. Thousands of people will experience live orchestral music for the first time, and the range of music programming and exciting locations will both play a part in making the performances exciting, fun and accessible. We also appreciate that the cost-of-living crisis has been a worry for so many people, and our £1 golden tickets will give many people that see us this coming weekend the bonus of a great night out to look forward to in the autumn. Music is for everyone and there should never be barriers to this. CBSO in the City fully opens up the world of orchestral music – removing all barriers, bringing people together and reminding us that music should ultimately be about having fun.
DATE
TIMES
EVENT & LOCATION
Thursday 27 August
11:30am & 1:30pm
Notelets: A family friendly performance of Wind in the Willows at Birmingham Library
11:30am
Solo Harp at Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Friday
28 August
3pm & 5pm
The CBSO and CBSO Chorus take over the concourse at New Street Station
Saturday 29 August
11:30am
Flute and harp duo at Birmingham Library
11:30am
Music Director Kazuki Yamada will make his much-anticipated return to the CBSO’s branded West Midlands Metro Tram
2pm
CBSO in the City makes its Solihull debut, with CBSO Brass performing at Touchwood’s Summer Sessions at the Beach in Theatre Square
2:30pm
A string quartet plays in the The Exchange’s Banking Hall café alongside the University of Birmingham’s breathtaking Helios installation by British artist Luke Jerram
2:45pm & 4pm
Saxophonist and CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam leads Saxophones in the City, a mass ‘come and play’ clarinet and saxophone event at Brindleyplace with over 60 participants ranging from age 12 to 89
Sunday
30 August
11am & 2pm
String trio (11am) and string quartet (2pm) performances at Birmingham Museum
& Art Gallery, with opportunity to view ‘EVERY THING MUST GO’, a new exhibition by Joe Lycett
2pm & 6pm
Infinite Opera, Grand Union & the CBSO present ‘Open for Business’, an ambitious community operatic performance unfolding across nine venues in Digbeth.
2pm
CBSO Woodwind Ensemble in Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Monday
31 August
1pm & 3pm
Full Orchestra performs in the Bullring, at the heart of the city centre
2pm
Solo Harp at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
