Led by BADA (Bangladeshi Artist Development Agency) in partnership with Legacy West Midlands, this year's festival brings together artists, performers and creatives from Birmingham and across the UK for a month-long programme of a month of live performance, new work, exhibitions and cultural exchange.

The Bangla Month 2026 press launch will take place on Thursday 8th October, from 5.30–6.30pm at Soho House Museum. The event will introduce this year’s festival programme and offer press and invited guests an opportunity to hear more about the artists, events and collaborations taking place throughout November. Press and media wishing to attend are invited to RSVP using the contact details below.

With six new commissions at its heart, Bangla Month 2026 reflects a new generation of Bangla heritage artists alongside established and internationally recognised names. The programme moves between contemporary and traditional forms, creating space for artists to explore what Bangla identity and culture mean today. The month opens on 1st November with British Bangladeshi artist Nish at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, before moving through some of the city’s leading cultural venues. Audiences can expect everything from live music and comedy to poetry, cinema, dance and theatre, with highlights including Amina Khayyam Dance Company, SMASH Bengali, Screen Bangla, Poetry After Chai and Bollyflex with DJ Naz.

The festival will also provide a platform for new and emerging artists, with work exploring themes including identity, belonging, migration, memory and community. Alongside contemporary practice, traditional forms such as Nakshi Kantha will provide a connection to Bangla heritage and storytelling.

For BADA, the continued growth of Bangla Month represents an important step in creating greater visibility and opportunities for Bangla heritage artists.

Aftab Rahman, CEO of Legacy WM and founder of BADA, shares his excitement: " My vision has always been to create a festival that puts Bangla artists and creativity firmly on the cultural map. Three years in, I’m so proud of what Bangla Month is becoming - a space where artists can take risks, create new work and reach audiences they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to connect with. The partnerships we’ve built across Birmingham are a huge part of that, and this year’s programme shows just how much is possible when we come together with a shared ambition."

Junna Begum, BADA Strategic Manager & Artistic Director (Bangla Month) shares her thoughts: I feel incredibly privileged to be part of Bangla Month, a festival where Bangla heritage artists can share their creativity and audiences can come together to celebrate Bangla culture and heritage. This year’s programme has been a real joy to put together, bringing together artists from Birmingham, across the UK and internationally, alongside six new commissions. I’m really looking forward to sharing it with audiences this November. The festival opens on 1st November at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with British Bangladeshi singer, songwriter and rapper Nish, performing alongside a jazz trio from the Conservatoire. Nish, British Bangladeshi singer, songwriter, and rapper says: “Birmingham, I’m coming to you live! I’ll be opening Bangla Month 2026 at Bradshaw Hall, joined by a brilliant jazz trio from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. We’re going to bring together some different sounds, influences and ideas that don’t always sit together and see where the music takes us. I’m looking forward to getting on stage, making some noise and sharing the night with you.”

Across the month, audiences can discover everything from live music and spoken word to comedy, contemporary dance, theatre and film. Highlights include Amina Khayyam Dance Company, SMASH Bengali, Screen Bangla, Poetry After Chai, Unplugged Live. The exhibition includes commissions, including Inner Complexities: Perception in Transition by Faim Islam, Echoes of Motherland by Tamima Munmun and Threads of Birmingham by Abeda Begum.

The festival also presents Resistance, Re-Imagine, a collaboration between GRAIN Projects and Pathshala Media Institute in Bangladesh, at Midlands Arts Centre Deborah Kermode, Chief Executive & Artistic Director of MAC, said: "MAC is delighted to partner once again with Birmingham's annual Bangla Month festival, presenting a new exhibition to showcase the incredible, interconnected work of British and Bangladeshi artists, 'Resistance, Re-imagine'.

A collaboration between GRAIN Projects and Pathshala Media Institute, it highlights the power of international exchange to create new artistic possibilities across borders. We're so proud to bring this striking photography showcase - which will surely resonate with our local communities to MAC." The festival will close on 31st November at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Dancing DJ Naz & Bollyflex, bringing together dance, live drumming, Bollywood, Bangla sounds and world music.

Naz Choudhury says: “Growing up as a British Bangladeshi from Brick Lane. Music and dance have always been a big part of my life, especially Bollywood but my sound has never been about just one influence. With Dancing DJ Naz, Drumline Drummers and Bolly Flex Dancers, I love bringing together Bollywood, Bangla sounds and world music with a dance spectacle to create something that feels fresh and distinctive. Being part of Bangla Month and bringing the festival is a great honour for me and also my debut with Bangla month. Looking forward to this, watch out for my surprise”

From new commissions and international collaborations to local talent and established performers, Bangla Month 2026 celebrates the breadth of Bangla creativity while creating new opportunities for artists to connect with audiences and with one another. Bangla Month 2026 runs from 1st – 30th November 2026 across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Where’s it all happening? Bangla Month will feature performances and exhibitions at Birmingham’s most iconic cultural venues, including Birmingham REP, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

For ticket reservation s and event schedule please visit here For further information please contact Aftab Rahman (CEO), Junna Begum (Artistic Director) and Sandhya Nandra (Marketing Communications Officer) at the following:

T: (0121) 348 8159 / 8158 | M: 07861310802 |

aftab@legacy-wm.org T: (0121) 348 8159 / 8158 | M: 07960874387 |

junna@legacy-wm.org T: (0121) 348 8079 | M: 07825371348 |

sandhya@legacy-wm.org

Images are available to download from here and our website: https://linktr.ee/LegacyWM1