Birmingham Jewellery Biennial
The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial will be the UK’s leading festival dedicated to the art, innovation and heritage of jewellery. Launching in May 2027, it will bring together internationally renowned jewellers and emerging talent through a UK-wide open call, creating a month-long programme of exhibitions, events and partner-led activity across the Jewellery Quarter and the wider city.
The Story
While the Biennial is a new festival, the vision behind it has been years in the making. JQDT has long believed Birmingham deserves an international festival reflecting the scale and ambition of its jewellery industry. That ambition gained momentum through the successful campaign to secure Birmingham’s World Craft City for Jewellery and Allied Trades designation in 2025 – creating the perfect platform to realise it.
What to expect
Working with creatives, businesses, cultural organisations and education partners, the festival will celebrate every aspect of Birmingham’s jewellery story – from centuries of craftsmanship to cutting-edge contemporary design. Exhibitions, events and partner-led activity will run across the Jewellery Quarter and the wider city throughout May 2027, opening the festival up to both established names and emerging talent.
JQDT’s role
The Biennial is brought to you by Jewellery Quarter Development Trust and Birmingham City University, and is a City Curator Project. As one of the two founding organisations, JQDT has helped shape the festival from its earliest concept, and continues to play a leading role through representation on the Biennial’s steering committee. Collaboration has always been central to our work.
