Birmingham Hippodrome has announced B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival will return to the city for seven days of extraordinary dance, performances, competitions and events this June.
Celebrated 50 years since the birth of hip hop, the free annual festival takes place from 8-14 June. B-SIDE will bring together the best artists and acts from all four elements of the genre; breakin’, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing.
To kickstart the citywide festival, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Young Advocates will be curating a takeover event for young people (age 14+) at the Hippodrome on Thursday 8 June. The day will include taster sessions and workshops led by local artists, which explore all elements of hip hop, as well as an informal Open Mic session.
Across the weekend B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival will move into the city with dancers competing in breakin’, all style hip hop and waacking in and around Birmingham Hippodrome on Saturday 8 June as part of Break Mission Worldwide Dance Championships and Queerside: Waacking Championships.
Alongside the dance battles and competitions, there will be an all-day Graff Jam in Southside, a celebration of Afrofuturism at the Hippodrome and much more to be announced.
Both championship grand finals will then take place at Bullring & Grand Central on Sunday 11 June.
The festival culminates at the Hippodrome on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 June with Breakin’ Convention, a jaw-dropping showcase of hip-hop dance theatre. The UK tour of Breakin’ Convention comes to an end in Birmingham and features exceptional international headline acts alongside the best local hip-hop crews.
To hear the latest about the B-SIDE Festival, find out more at www.birminghamhippodrome.com
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