The International Day of Birmingham

Join us on 24 September for the International Day of Birmingham - an annual day of celebration commemorating the creation of an historic alliance of the world’s Birminghams by Brummie comedian, Joe Lycett.

In 2024, Joe embarked on a delightfully daft cross-Atlantic road trip, exploring the world’s many Birminghams, handily all in North America. Not content with merely visiting our city’s namesakes, Joe wanted to create a formal linking of all the Birminghams and with the blessing of the Lord Mayor, formed official Friendship Agreements, thus creating the United States of Birmingham. This eccentric and heart-warming adventure is immortalised in the four-part Sky Max series, Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham.

So, whether you’re a born and bred Brummie, flying in for a weekend or adding Birmingham to your UK itinerary, International Day of Birmingham is the perfect moment to discover the city. Stay a little longer and explore Birmingham through the lens of this popular TV show using our United States of Birmingham itinerary.

We’ll be sharing more on the International Day of Birmingham plans soon but for now – save the date for a whole host of Brum-based fun and don't forget to raise a glass of Birmingham tap water and chant "Alright Bab", as you toast Birmingham in all its guises. 

People of Birmingham, UK. If you’re celebrating the International Day of Birmingham with an event or offer, click here to list your event on this page.

The Origins of the International Day of Birmingham...

Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham is a TV show broadcast on Sky TV and streaming service NOW TV featuring everyone’s favourite comedy activist Joe Lycett. It’s no secret that Joe adores his home town and in his self-appointed role as the second city’s ambassador and with the blessing of the actual Lord Mayor of Birmingham, his mission was to put Birmingham back on the map.

To do that, Joe headed to North America, the global destination for multiple Brums and home to no fewer than eighteen Birminghams stretching from Canada’s Saskatchewan province, down the East Coast, through the Midwest and into the Deep South. Throughout the series, Joe explores their history and their collective Brummie cultural commonalities, forming an official ‘Treaty of Friendship’ with as many US Birminghams as he can.

Work your way through the itinerary for an alternative experience of Birmingham, UK. Each item on the check list is inspired by an iconic moment in the show and, of course, by the city’s vast and vibrant heritage.

For locals the list will be self explanatory but in case you don’t have a Brummie to guide you when you visit, City Curator, Alex Nicholson-Evans, has given us the inside track here

Share your checklist progress on social media and inspire others to explore the city too. Whether you’ve visited a few places or ticked every box, you can use our free downloadable assets to let your friends in on the journey.

Don’t forget to tag @VisitBirmingham or use the hashtag #VisitBirmingham

You can find out more about the International Day of Birmingham by visiting the website.

More events to celebrate the International Day of Birmingham