Ascendancy Festival

About Ascendancy Festival

For 2027, Ascendancy Festival brings rock and metal to Thornborough Events, Birmingham from 27–31 May.

The Breaking Bands journey began in 2015. In 2023, Breaking Bands won Best Grassroots Music Festival at the UK Festival Awards, and Ascendancy keeps that grassroots thread in its two-stage format.

Lineup and Programme

The bill runs across The Breaking Bands Stage and The Ascendancy Stage, with live music as the core programme.

The format works as a progression model, moving from emerging acts to returning favourites. Food and drink traders, bars and communal seating areas sit alongside the arena programme.

Who Is It For?

Ascendancy is an all-ages, family-friendly rock and metal event with a grassroots discovery focus.

Under-14s must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 18+ at all times. No unaccompanied under-16s are permitted on site after 9pm, and 14–17s receive youth wristbands with no access to alcohol or age-restricted areas.

The Venue and Site

Thornborough Events is a large open-air site in South Birmingham, with capacity ranging from a few hundred to several thousand attendees depending on layout and requirements.

The site includes an open-air stage, licensed bars, food and drink stalls, seating areas and restrooms, including accessible options. Portaloos, including disabled-access toilets, are listed for the arena and camping areas.

Weekend tickets include free camping and free on-site parking. Campervan and live-in vehicle spaces are allowed but must be booked in advance.

Thornborough Events sits on Redhill Road in King’s Norton, Alvechurch, Birmingham.

• Nearest station: King’s Norton, about 15–20 minutes on foot or a 5-minute taxi ride.
• Road access: M6 Junction 6, M5 Junction 4, M40 Junction 3A and M42 Junction 2.
• Local routes: A38(M) / A38 via Bristol Road and Aston Expressway, plus the A441 and Redhill Road.
• Parking: Free on-site parking, clearly marked and stewarded on arrival.