Wireless Festival will take place on the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Campus this year, with international stars and homegrown UK talent to perform at the festival.
Promoted by Festival Republic, which is part of live entertainment giant Live Nation, the three-day Birmingham event will welcome over 135,000 attendees.
The festival will not use the indoor space of the venue, but instead five of the NEC’s car parks, which form a total of 446 acres of outdoor event space.
Wireless Birmingham will welcome headline performances from acts such as Dave, Cardi B and J. Cole. Further Wireless events will also take place in London at Crystal Palace Park and Finsbury Park.
Richard Mann, new business director for the NEC, said: “We are constantly seeking ways to maximise activity across our estate, and it’s great to see the team behind Wireless using our adaptable space. This approach to hosting a festival on concrete is a tried and tested method commonly seen in the US and will no doubt improve the logistics associated with our great British weather.”
He added: “We are well-accustomed to hosting large-scale live music events in both of our arenas, and to have the ability to also offer an outdoor music festival of this scale, showcases the flexibility of our spaces and how we can diversify our offering for organisers and promoters.
“This is an exceptional win for the region, and we hope this will be the start of further festival opportunities in the coming years for our audiences.”
The NEC’s box office, The Ticketing Factory, has been appointed as a ticket agent for the event.
Ian Taylor, managing director for NEC Group Conventions and Exhibitions, said: “This is a huge cultural opportunity for the West Midlands, and we are excited to further boost Birmingham’s profile by hosting such an iconic event in 2022.
“Coming out of the pandemic, the NEC is diversifying its event model as we look to embrace new audiences and welcome outdoor festivals to our campus.”
Image: Colin Lloyd on Unsplash