Events celebrate Somali culture across Birmingham

A series of events is being held across Birmingham to celebrate Somali culture identity and community.

Somalinimo Week 2026 began on Saturday and runs until Friday. It is organised by the city's current poet laureate, 26 year-old Ayan Aden, who said she wanted people to understand the essence of being Somali.

Events include traditional dance and female-led performances, a business and careers expo, flag-raising ceremony and an open mic night.

"There is a massive narrative void... oftentimes stories are told for Somalis rather than from Somalis themselves, and when you don't have that authentic voice there are natural gaps," Aden explained.

"The British Somali story is one of resilience, it's one of constantly pushing forward, it's one of amazing hospitality and great values of unity and togetherness, these are the things that we want to introduce to people.

"If you're in a place in England where you're not near any Somalis and the only voices you're hearing are inauthentic voices, these are the things that you tend to miss."

Following a young storyteller's day on Saturday and open mic night on Sunday, the remainder of the programme, external includes:

"The festival spans eight days, so there's a day for everybody, whether you like academia, or whether you like business and careers, traditional dancing for women," Aden continued.

"We've made five events free and accessible for the community, and the other ones are at reduced price. We don't want to leave anybody behind because that's the essence of Somalinimo."

On having a business and careers expo, she said: "We can meet and we can have a cultural event, we can do a celebration, but what tools are we providing the community to equip themselves beyond just that celebratory moment?"

"We have over 30 organisations that span from higher academic institutions, to professional memberships, to accelerator programs that help SME's… a legal clinic, free headshots for young people, and a one-year mentorship scheme.

"It's a way to be able to say to our young people: 'We are reinvesting back into you'."

She also urged people who are not Somali to take part.

"As a society, when you're in your boxes, not seeing each other's cultures, eating each other's food, listening to each other's music, there's that narrative void which breeds ignorance."

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