Summer Festival of Music 2026
University Music is delighted to announce a multi-week period of events to round up the year for students, staff, and members of the wider community.
University Folk Band performing at the Summer Festival of Music 2025
Each year, University Music hosts a multi-week Summer Festival of Music that runs alongside UoB Xtra week and provides a wide selection of opportunities for students, staff, and the wider community.
This year, running from the 6 – 26 June 2026, the Summer Festival of Music will include a variety of workshops and concerts both on campus and across the city. Performances will include contributions from the multi-award winning University Brass Band, the ever-popular Summer Festival Voices, and keep an eye out for our University Folk Band as they close the festival with a rousing outside performance on the first June Open Day. There will also be a series of lunchtime and afternoon concerts featuring University Music scholarship holders, instrumental choirs, the Symphonic Brass ensemble, and more.
Looking into the city, talented student-led Chamber Music ensembles will be performing at St Peter’s Church, Harborne, and Folk Band will once again head to the popular Powerfolk Festival hosted this year by Nortons, Digbeth.
The central weekend of the festival will highlight a variety of talented soloists, including guest-artist Queen Lilas with University Jazz Orchestra, and the winner of the annual soloist competition, Annie Wright, performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the Summer Festival Orchestra.
For those looking to get involved, the South Asian Music Ensemble will be offering a ‘Come and Play’ session in collaboration with the Race Equality Network, and our newest ensemble Pop-Rock Choir is open for new members to come along to rehearsals.
For a full schedule of all of the events, as well as information on how to book tickets for our concerts, please visit our website. All information can also be found in our Summer 2026 brochure, which can be picked up across campus and in the city, and on the University website (along with the UoB Xtra listings).
University Music provides the University of Birmingham with one of the liveliest music-making scenes of any campus. With around 1500 positions available in our 35-plus ensembles, members participate in a variety of instrumental and vocal groups, across a range of abilities and styles. University Music is open to students, staff, and the local community, and provides participants with opportunities for professional coaching, exceptional concerts, as well as the chance to apply for yearly scholarships. To find out more, please visit our website.