May Day Moments at Great Western Arcade

May Day Moments at Great Western Arcade

If you haven’t got plans for Saturday 2nd May yet, here’s one worth knowing about.

Great Western Arcade is hosting May Day Moments, a free event running from 11am to 3pm, right inside the arcade on Colmore Row.

No tickets. No booking. Just come in.

It’s the kind of thing that turns a Saturday morning browse into something you’ll actually remember.


What’s happening?

The arcade will come to life with two roaming performances designed to make people stop, smile, and stay a little longer.

Ribbon Dancer

A roaming ribbon dancer will move through the arcade with colour, movement, and precision, the kind of performance that catches your eye the moment you turn a corner.

Graceful, unexpected, and genuinely worth watching.

The Spring-a-Lings

The Spring-a-Lings are exactly what their name suggests: joyful springtime characters roaming through the arcade, interacting with visitors and spreading the kind of cheerful chaos children love and adults secretly enjoy too.

Think walking flower arrangements with personalities.

Both performances are fully roaming, which means the entertainment comes to you as you explore the arcade.


Event Details

Free to attend

No tickets or booking required

Saturday 2nd May 2026

11am – 3pm

Great Western Arcade

Colmore Row, Birmingham B2 5JB


Make a morning of it

The arcade is at its best when you’re not in a hurry.

If you’re coming down for the event, there’s every reason to stay a while afterwards too.

Start with coffee at Morridge.

Pick up lunch at Habaneros or Mi Banh Mi.

Browse through Designer Exchange if you’re looking for something special, or stop by Ignite Record Store, now celebrating its first year in the building.

You’ll also find:

Daisy Florist for something beautiful to take home

Anderson & Hill for food lovers and home cooks

The Whisky Shop for a well-earned weekend treat

Loki Wine and The Good Intent if the afternoon happens to drift into evening

All independent.

All under one Victorian glass roof, just a five-minute walk from Birmingham New Street.


Why this is worth your Saturday

Free entertainment in a beautiful Victorian arcade on a bank holiday weekend, surrounded by some of Birmingham city centre’s best independent businesses.

It’s the kind of thing Birmingham does quietly and brilliantly, and the kind of thing that’s easy to miss if nobody tells you about it.

So consider this us telling you.


Join us on Saturday

May Day Moments at Great Western Arcade
Saturday 2nd May 2026
11am – 3pm

📍 Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row, Birmingham B2 5JB

No booking needed. Just come in.

Share this with someone who needs a Saturday plan.