Indian arts festival underway in Birmingham in UK first
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the first Serendipity Arts Festival outside India
Last updated 25th May 2025
An Indian arts festival is underway in Birmingham this weekend and is the first time its travelled outside India.
The Serendipity Arts Festival celebrates Indian culture and heritage.
Now, organisers say they want to explore global contexts by bringing the festival to Birmingham.
We spoke to the director of the event, Smriti Rajgarhia, who told us why Birmingham was their city of choice.
“Coming back here and seeing the city really spoke to us. When we came in February last year we felt Birmingham was so perfect to have our festival,” she said.
The event includes performances - many of which are free - combining Western chamber music with traditional Indian Thumri (a form of vocal music), literature and comedy.
“We totally believe that culture is global, that we need to have more and more conversations. What we do is not enough to make a difference we want to see in the world,” said Smriti.
“But we're hoping with this small project that we've brought for four days to Birmingham City University and to Symphony Hall will be able to start many conversations for the future.”
She said she hopes the festival will strike a chord with people in Birmingham.
“We want to find people who resonate with what we are doing in India. We showcase what India is doing right now in terms of culture.”
Events are being hosted over the bank holiday weekend across multiple venues including the Symphony Hall and Royal Birmingham Conservatory.