CBSO brings 20 free performances to Birmingham in five days
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra played more than 20 free performances across Birmingham in five days for CBSO in the City 2026, closing with a full orchestra at the Bullring on the August bank holiday Monday.
CBSO in the City 2026 brought more than 20 free City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performances to public spaces across Birmingham over five days, from New Street Station to the Bullring, with 5,000 Golden Tickets offering £1 concerts at Symphony Hall.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra gave more than 20 free performances in five days across Birmingham, playing in stations, cafes, a hospital, shopping centres and a library before a full orchestra closed the festival at a packed Bullring on the August bank holiday Monday.
CBSO in the City 2026 ran from Thursday 27 August to bank holiday Monday 31 August. Rather than staying at its Symphony Hall home, the orchestra turned up in public spaces while people went about their day.
Music in unexpected places
The performances landed where people were already standing. There was an orchestral tribute to Dolly Parton on the departure boards at a busy New Street Station, and further sets at The Exchange cafe, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull. Birmingham Library hosted "Wind in the Willows" performances for children and families.
Music Director Kazuki Yamada led from the front throughout, at one point playing electric piano on board a CBSO-branded tram. Over the weekend, members of the public were also given the chance to conduct the orchestra.
Saxophones in the City
Saxophonist Jess Gillam, a CBSO Collaborative Artist, led "Saxophones in the City", a mass come-and-play event for clarinet and saxophone players at Brindleyplace.
£1 tickets to Symphony Hall
Alongside the free performances, the orchestra handed out 5,000 CBSO "Golden Tickets", each of which can be redeemed for a concert in its new Symphony Hall season for £1. The orchestra said the aim was to give many people their first orchestral concert in their home city.
Emma Stenning, chief executive of the CBSO, said: "One thing we're consistently trying to do at the CBSO is to get rid of as many barriers as possible. Image can be a barrier. Price can be a barrier. Location can be a barrier. That's one of the reasons why 'CBSO in the City' takes place in public spaces and it's free to experience."
Music director's view
Kazuki Yamada said the week was one of his favourite moments in the year. "Having the chance to surprise people with music, to see how it brings happiness and joy, is so uplifting for all of us," he said. "Birmingham is our home, and sometimes we just want to give a gift of music to everyone who lives, works or visits here."
The CBSO said its own audience research over two years found that 93% of residents include at least one kind of music as the soundtrack to their lives, and that 89% are keen to explore new music genres at concerts and gigs.
About the orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is resident at Symphony Hall and performs more than 150 concerts a year in Birmingham, across the UK and around the world. It is led by Music Director Kazuki Yamada and Chief Executive Emma Stenning, and is supported by its principal funders Arts Council England and SCC. Details of the new 2026/7 season are at cbso.co.uk.
Story details and photograph supplied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Photograph by Hannah Blake-Fathers.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
What was CBSO in the City 2026?
CBSO in the City 2026 was a five-day festival in which the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra gave more than 20 free performances in public spaces across Birmingham, from New Street Station to the Bullring, and handed out 5,000 Golden Tickets that can each be redeemed for a £1 concert at Symphony Hall.