Supersonic Festival 2026 – An Important Update
We’re delighted to let you know that we’ve now confirmed dates of 25-26 April for our 2026 Festival. This is a few months earlier than in recent years and the Festival will be something of a special Limited Edition, with fewer tickets available than this year – so please put the dates in your diary now and be ready to book as soon as we put it on sale to be sure of not missing out!
The reasons behind this decision are largely related to the changing nature of Birmingham. When we first began, Digbeth was our wild frontier, a place where anything felt possible. We built stages in old warehouses, turned empty shops into art spaces, made installations under viaducts, and filled the streets with the energy and creativity of our amazing community.
But times have changed. In recent years, we’ve fought hard to keep Supersonic rooted in the place where it all began, battling against rapid gentrification and the steady rise of faceless apartment blocks replacing the vibrant, independent spaces that once defined Digbeth. On top of that, the rising costs of delivering an independent festival have made it harder than ever to keep doing what we do.
We look to our European peers with admiration (and, if we’re honest, a little envy): they’re supported by cities that invest heavily in culture, with incredible venues and public funding that make ambitious projects possible. Meanwhile, Birmingham has been a far more hostile environment for independent culture, unable to offer much support for the creativity that gives a city its soul.
While we’ve remained resilient, these challenges have taken their toll, financially and personally. So, for 2026, we’ve made the decision to produce this Limited Edition Supersonic Festival: a smaller, more intimate gathering focused around one main venue in Digbeth and a smaller capacity. This special edition will, of course, still embody everything you love about Supersonic – extraordinary artists, boundary-pushing sounds, and the joy of coming together as a community.
The earlier dates will also give us the breathing space over next summer to imagine what comes next for Supersonic, and to plan for 2027 and beyond. We don’t know yet whether that might mean building new partnerships with venues that share our values, finding a new home elsewhere and/or reinventing what Supersonic can be for the future. But we’re excited to be able to have the time to explore possibilities.
We need your support now more than ever. Buy your tickets early, not just to secure your spot, but to help us focus our energy on what truly matters: the music, the art, and the people who make Supersonic what it is.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for standing with us through it all. Together, we’ll shape the next chapter of Supersonic. We can’t do it without you!
Lisa Meyer, Artistic Director
