Birmingham Hosts Fireworks, Fiestas, Football During Heatwave Weekend

Britain’s second heatwave of the summer hits Birmingham this weekend, with the mercury expected to touch 32°C on Saturday. But the real heat comes from the lineup of events: the Birmingham International Carnival returns to Handsworth Park on Sunday, and England takes on Norway in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday evening. It’s a weekend that demands planning-or at least a cold pint and some shade.

Carnival, culture, and a cooling-off zone

The Birmingham International Carnival, now in its 42nd year, kicks off at midday on Sunday from Handsworth Park on Grove Lane. Organisers expect 80,000 attendees over the day, with parade floats leaving the park at 1 p.m. and weaving along Soho Road before looping back via Rookery Road. This year’s theme is “One World, One Beat,” a nod to the city’s diversity-Birmingham is home to residents from over 180 nationalities. Entry is free, but a programme costs £3. Food vendors lining the park include Miss Patti’s Cook Shop, whose jerk chicken and rice has been a carnival staple since 2015.

If the heat gets too much, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Chamberlain Square will extend its opening hours until 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, offering free entry to its exhibition “Brass: Birmingham’s Industrial Soul” (last admission 7:30 p.m.). The museum’s cafe, Edwardian Tearooms, is serving iced coffee for £2.50.

World Cup fever, cooling pints, and late-night kicks

England’s quarter-final match against Norway kicks off at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The Bullring’s Boxpark, on Moor Street, will screen the game on its main outdoor LED screen, with seating for 1,200. Entry is free but first-come, first-served; doors open at 6 p.m. A pint of Camden Hells lager costs £6.50, while a bowl of loaded fries from the on-site vendor Fry Days runs you £8. For a more intimate setting, The Actress & Bishop on Ludgate Hill is showing the match in its beer garden, with a burger and a pint of Purity Gold for £15.

For those who prefer to avoid the football crowds, the BBC Proms broadcast of “Holst: The Planets” at Symphony Hall on Centenary Square starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are £12-£35, with remaining seats available at the box office from 5:30 p.m.

Sunday morning offers a different kind of release: the Birmingham Farmers’ Market on Colmore Row, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two dozen stalls will sell local produce, including Birmingham Honey Co.‘s raw honey at £5 a jar and Shropshire Blue cheese from Llysun Farm at £3.50 per wedge.

What to know before you go

Traffic will be heavy around Handsworth Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday; the number 11 bus route along Soho Road will be diverted via Grove Lane and Church Road. The heatwave brings a UV index of 8 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., so bring sunscreen and water-council-run water refill stations will be set up at the carnival site and at Chamberlain Square. For the World Cup match, Boxpark does not allow bags larger than A4, and the last entry is at 7:45 p.m. Sunday’s forecast shows a slight chance of thundery showers by 5 p.m.-so pack a raincoat just in case.