Frontiers Festival

Shaping the Future Across Tech, Culture & Creativity

Frontiers Festival explores how emerging technologies are reshaping human experience, culture and society in an age of rapid acceleration.

Inspired by Birmingham Tech Week’s 2026 theme, FAST FORWARD, the festival examines what happens when AI, immersive technology and digital systems begin changing faster than individuals, industries and institutions can comfortably adapt.

Blending technology, gaming, creativity, sport, media and immersive experiences, Frontiers brings together artists, technologists, researchers, founders, gamers, athletes and future thinkers to explore the cultural and emotional impact of life in an AI-powered world.

The 2026 programme will be structured around three core themes: Future Brains, Future War and Future Human exploring questions around AI-native generations, gaming and ethics, digital identity, human performance and the evolving relationship between technology, creativity and human behaviour.

At the centre of the festival is Faster Horse, a large-scale public installation by artist Bruce Asbestos inspired by Henry Ford’s famous “faster horses” quote, a playful and provocative reflection on innovation, industrial heritage and society’s relationship with technological change.

Launching in Centenary Square with a live performance by the CBSO, Faster Horse transforms the city centre into a shared public experience that invites audiences to imagine what comes next.

At the heart of Frontiers is a belief that the future is not just technological — it is deeply human.