Shazia Mirza, well-known Brummie stand-up comic, heads the line-up at a taster for Serendipity Arts Festival in Birmingham, taking place this May Bank Holiday weekend (23-26 May).

Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) celebrates its tenth edition in India in December 2025. It’s a spectacular annual event with more than 200 projects spread over multiple venues in Panaji, Goa. Established by founder-patron Sunil Kant Munjal, it has grown into South Asia's largest and most anticipated arts festival, covering performing, visual and culinary arts.

For the first version of the Festival outside of India, the city of Birmingham was chosen as their partner. Birmingham City University (BCU) is working with SAF to bring a vibrant celebration of South Asian arts, music, dance and culture to the UK, showcasing an eclectic mix of performances, workshops, film screenings and exhibitions which will take place at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Symphony Hall.

An Unmissable Line-up of Artists and Experiences

The four-day festival celebrates not only the finest of South Asian heritage, but also shows off the huge talent to be found at BCU. The Birmingham Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, started in 1977 when Joe Broughton was a student at RBC (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), will take to the stage to deliver an energetic and powerful show, with up to 75 musicians taking part, including fiddles, brass and percussion.

BCU Course Director for Media Production, Dharmesh Rajput will curate a film package about Indian music, poet and BCU Professor, Greg Leadbetter will deliver a poetry reading evening, and multi-instrumentalist and jazz lecturer, Shanti Jayasinha leads RBC’s Banda Brasileira celebrating Brazil’s global music traditions.

Alongside comedy from Shazia Mirza - born in Birmingham to Punjabi Pakistani parents - the line-up includes:

• Thumri in the Chamber - a classical Indian music tradition given a contemporary twist by Indian rock musician and composer Zubin Balaporia

• A tribute to the legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, capturing intimate moments of his musical journey through the lens of celebrated photographer Dayanita Singh, and a screening of the film The Speaking Hand which charts Zakir's growth from the by-lanes of Bombay to his present fame as a world-renowned musician.

• Eternal Echoes – A showcase of archival images of traditional Indian musical instruments, accompanied by a pop-up library of books on the history of music in South Asia.

• Sempre Fado - an evening of soulful music, capturing the true spirit of Portuguese Goa

• The Art of Taal – An interactive experience of performance and explanation on how Indian rhythms fuse with western Jazz

• Echoes of Elegance: Ghazals and Old Bollywood Classics - Honouring the nostalgia of Bollywood’s golden era, this intimate performance bridges tradition and contemporary expression and features performances by RBC’s music ensembles.

A Global Festival with a Local Heart

Birmingham, with its rich multicultural heritage, is the perfect home for this curtain-raiser for Serendipity Arts Festival in the UK. This festival not only celebrates the deep artistic traditions of South Asia, but also fosters new collaborations and cultural exchanges.

BCU Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Mba said:

“Everyone at BCU is hugely excited about this festival. It will be the first of its kind in the UK and it will showcase BCU’s strong commitment to supporting and fostering the arts. 

“Since our founding almost 180 years ago, arts, design and performance have been at the core of our University, and our education provision remains rooted in the city’s diverse cultural landscape. This event will not only cement Birmingham’s position as a cultural destination of choice but will build on the talents and aspirations of our students and University.”

Sunil Kant Munjal, founder-patron of Serendipity Arts Festival, said:

“We are thrilled to bring Serendipity Arts Festival to Birmingham, a city that shares our passion for artistic innovation and cultural storytelling. This will provide a bridge between continents, traditions, and contemporary expressions. Together, BCU and SAF will make the arts accessible to all.”

This four-day event serves as a prelude to the ten-day full-format celebrations, marking the tenth year of the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim, Goa, from 12-21 December 2025. 

Tickets for this year’s free Birmingham Serendipity Arts Festival are available now. To find out more information and to book your free places, please visit https://www.bcu.ac.uk/news-events/serendipity-arts-festival-2025

For more details about the festival in both Birmingham and Goa and its programming throughout the year, visit https://www.serendipityartsfestival.com/.