Birmingham International Dance Festival returns

Get set for the best in dance and performance.

Birmingham International Dance Festival will be returning to the city from 5th–21th June 2020. BIDF 2020 will deliver a rich and diverse programme across Outdoor, Theatre, Site-Specific, and Participation, plus events for dance industry professionals. You can expect fantastic dance in the city’s theatres and a takeover of Birmingham’s streets and squares, with show-stopping free performances and opportunities to get dancing.

This year the festival is inspired by the themes of togetherness and the wide variety of voices in our diverse world, offering thrilling ways to experience dance, both watching and taking part.

Lucie Mirkova, Curator of BIDF 2020, said: “This summer it’s our aspiration to bring together people from all backgrounds and walks of life in an unmissable celebration of dance in the heart of our great city of Birmingham. Dance is the perfect medium to remind us all of what unites us, joyfully celebrating equality and difference.”

The festival attracts artists from all over the world committed to pushing the boundaries of dance as a contemporary artform, as well as providing a platform for local talent to shine. BIDF 2020 celebrates Birmingham as a young, diverse city, a place where anything is possible, where the extraordinary happens.

Lucie continues, “Our outdoor programme will be showcasing some of the best dance performances currently touring, from across the world, as well as staging a packed weekend of social dance activity with workshops and lots of opportunities for everyone to try new styles or revisit favourites. Opening the ten-day free outdoor programme will be a thrilling performance by over 150 extraordinary young people from all corners of the region in a unique dance takeover of Centenary Square, led by Company Black Sheep (France).

“Together with our great partners in venues throughout the city, you can expect our indoor programme to challenge the traditional ways of how audiences experience performance, and what belongs on a theatre stage, ranging from watching dancers as a 3D holographic image, to sinking into a bean bag and joining a unique dreamlike immersive experience.”

The exciting programme will delight a wide range of audiences and participants, inspiring local people, and attracting visitors to the city.

Birmingham International Dance Festival 2020 is part of an exhilarating month of dance festivals running throughout June 2020, celebrating Birmingham as a world leading destination for dance. Oroduced by DanceXchange it is funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council with additional investment from Dance Hub Birmingham.

The full programme will be announced in March; check www.bidf.co.uk for updates and opportunities.