Where Sport, Storytelling and Global Ambition Meet
On 1 August, Amazon Prime launched Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues, a new docuseries that goes behind the scenes at Birmingham City FC and into the heart of a city redefining what it means to be a global sporting powerhouse.
This isn’t just a tale of football fortunes. It’s a story of a region with a bold plan, a winning spirit, and the infrastructure, identity and ambition to match any on the world stage.
Because here in the West Midlands, sport doesn’t just happen. It Starts Here.
A Global Spotlight, With Local Heart
Produced by Matt Alvarez, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and led by NFL legend Tom Brady, Built in Birmingham chronicles one of football’s most dramatic seasons: from ownership change to relegation, and a club reborn under coach Chris Davies with a record-breaking bounce back.
But the bigger story is the city itself.
Birmingham is now firmly in the global spotlight, and not just for its football. It’s a region that proved itself on the world stage with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and is now doubling down with a major events pipeline that reads like a who's who of international sport.
Sporting Spectacle Starts Here
The West Midlands is more than a host. It’s a home for athletes, fans and federations alike.
Over the next three years, the region will welcome a series of elite global tournaments and homegrown showpieces, building on a £6 million Major Sporting Events fund and a world-class legacy of staging unforgettable competitions.
Here’s what’s recently been and coming up:
- SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit
- India v England Test Cricket at Edgbaston
- PaddyPower Kabaddi World Cup – held outside Asia for the first time
- UK Athletics Championships
- The Hundred
- British Masters (The Belfry)
- Grand Slam of Darts
- Horse of the Year Show
- British Open Squash
- European Athletics Championships – first UK host city: Birmingham (2026)
- World Bowls Championships (2027)
- Invictus Games (2027)
- And more mass-participation, youth and inclusive events set across iconic venues from Sandwell Aquatics to the NEC, Birmingham and Molineux, Wolverhampton.
The scale, variety and quality of this calendar positions the West Midlands as a genuine global hub for professional, inclusive and innovation-led sport.
From Work Ethic to Winning Ethos
This sporting ambition is no accident. It’s built from the same foundation as the Brady docuseries: a proud working-class identity, a love of community, and an unapologetically bold vision for what’s next.
The West Midlands is:
- 🎯 Centrally connected – with 90% of the UK population within a four-hour drive
- 🏟️ Venue-rich – with elite stadiums, arenas, racecourses and open-water locations
- 🌍 Globally visible – with one of the UK’s most diverse populations and international fan bases
- ♻️ Sustainably driven – aiming for net zero by 2041 across all event delivery
And the world is taking notice, not just because of Tom Brady’s name or Tom Wagner's investment, but because of what Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and beyond are delivering.
It Starts with Stories Like This
The Built in Birmingham documentary is just the beginning. Whether it’s:
- The roar at Edgbaston
- The flash of kabaddi on a global stage
- Or the pride of hosting the Invictus Games
... every whistle, every cheer, and every “I was there” moment is part of something bigger.
A region where legacies are made.
A region where world-class events find their home.
A region where the next great sporting chapter starts here.
Over to You...
The cameras are rolling. The world is watching. And it's people like you who make this region the beating heart of British sport.
Whether you're coaching the next champion, running a venue, or cheering in the stands, this is your story too.
Let’s show them what the West Midlands is made of.
Explore what’s coming: meetbirmingham.com/sportingevents
Make sure you're following WMGC on Linkedin and tag your proud moments: #HeartOfSport #BuiltInBirmingham
