Largest dance festival in the UK returns this summer

Birmingham International Dance Festival, the largest dance festival in the UK, is taking place from 17 June - 3 July 2022.

Produced by FABRIC, Birmingham International Dance Festival (BIDF) is presented this year in partnership with Birmingham 2022 Festival.

An array of dance artists will perform in theatres and takeover Birmingham 's public spaces, all celebrating the city 's distinctive spirit of diversity, inclusivity and togetherness.

Across three weeks, the festival will feature newly commissioned work by UK artists plus dance from the Commonwealth and around the globe.

Much of BIDF is free and outdoors with many opportunities to participate and get dancing, plus a thrilling theatre programme showcasing some of the best in current choreography, online screen-dance and professional industry events.

Lucie Mirkova, head of artistic programmes at FABRIC, said: “We are bringing world-class dance to the city 's theatres, outdoor spaces and online platforms. This year the festival is presented as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival with the programme featuring artists from Commonwealth countries such as India and South Africa and the first nations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Work will be exploring themes of identity, home from home and diaspora journeys.

“Our ambition is to showcase Birmingham as a global dance destination, a dancing city with its public spaces as a dance floor. We hope everyone will see dance as a joyful part of their cultural life. ”

The festival 's opening weekend titled 'Birmingham is A Dancefloor ' will hold performances in Centenary, Chamberlain and Victoria Squares as well as Brindley Place and invites audiences of all backgrounds and abilities to join in.

To view the full programme, visit: www.bidf.co.uk

Pictured: DEVA by Urja Desi Thakore & Hetain Patel (credit: Parag Dhanani)