Birmingham will be at the heart of the UK’s biggest free community music festival in July with nine events taking place in the city as part of Our Big Gig.

With 170 community events scheduled across England and Scotland over 11th-13th July, Our Big Gig will bring people from all backgrounds together to see local artists perform, meet their neighbours and even have a go at making music themselves.

As an Inspired by 2012 Olympic legacy event, all Our Big Gig events are organised by local organisations, free to attend and will feature over 2,000 volunteers helping to host gigs, with over 7,000 musicians expected to play nationwide.

In 2012 more than 200 community-led performances attracted 200,000 people on the closing day of the Paralympics, and last summer’s Our Big Gig saw over 200,000 people attend free concerts.

Our Big Gig is organised by not for profit arts organisation Superact, with the Department for Communities and Local Government as the main sponsor. Across the country, venues range from skate parks, shopping centres, parks and village greens to pubs, castles and ferries. All venues will be open to people of all ages.

Katharine Lane, Director of Superact said: “Just as football is uniting thousands of people this summer at the World Cup, so too will music and we hope Our Big Gig will again offer a unique way for communities to come together.”

Janie Orr of Universal Music Group International, added: “Our Big Gig is a fantastic platform for aspiring and talented musicians to showcase their music within local communities. With music making opportunities for all and a wide variety of musical genres being performed, Our Big Gig will support the musicians of tomorrow and entertain all who attend”.

Locations, line ups and details of the events can be found at www.superact.org.uk/ourbiggig/events/all-events