Niyo Fest 2024: Birmingham Prepares for Three-Day Tech and Culture Extravaganza

By Anushka Malhotra

1 minute 36 seconds

Tech

Share:

Quick Read: Niyo Fest 2024 in Birmingham will feature a three-day celebration of tech, culture, and innovation, with prominent speakers and a hack-a-thon, attracting 10,000 attendees.

Niyo Group, known for its innovative Ed-tech and beauty brands, is set to host its most significant event to date—Niyo Fest 2024. This dynamic festival, scheduled for October 3-5, will take place at Millennium Point, one of Birmingham's key tech hubs, and is expected to draw 10,000 attendees.

Niyo Fest promises an impressive lineup of speakers, performers, and sponsors. The event will also feature Niyo Hack, a three-day hack-a-thon offering cash prizes and opportunities to collaborate with industry leaders.

Bringing together innovators, investors, industry leaders, and enthusiasts from around the globe, Niyo Fest aims to merge technology, beauty, fashion, fitness, and culture into a comprehensive festival of networking, opportunities, and inspiration.

From October 3 to 5, these industry leaders and innovators will share their career experiences and insights with attendees. The festival will also offer various engaging sessions designed to equip participants with essential skills and knowledge to thrive in their respective fields.

Niyo Fest is designed to help attendees develop technical skills, gain business acumen, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Oyinkansola Adebayo, CEO and Founder of Niyo Fest, emphasised the event's mission:

"Niyo Fest is more than just a festival – it’s a platform strategically designed to build a better environment for investment in the national and global female economy. We are thrilled to gather 10,000 people, primarily women from underrepresented backgrounds, in Birmingham. It’s set to be an incredible three days, and we can’t wait to see you all there!"

Chief Community Officer Laolu Dada added,

"Niyo Fest is an ambitious global showcase of innovation and empowerment from the West Midlands to the world! This initiative focuses on women, galvanizing, educating, and driving change by raising aspirations and equipping women for the future."

The event will also feature a three-day hack-a-thon where teams can compete to develop SDG-focused products and win cash prizes. Applicants can apply on the Niyo Fest website, and successful submissions will have the chance to showcase their skills to a panel of expert judges.

With more names to be announced, Niyo Fest 2024 is poised to be a landmark event, blending culture and business in the West Midlands with a global roster of speakers. Free tickets are now available, alongside paid tickets offering exclusive access to the Investor Circle, the Hack-a-thon, and more.

What's new

CreaTech Frontiers Launch Unlocks £250K in Funding for West Midlands Creative Innovators

Creative SMEs in the West Midlands are being given a major boost with the launch of CreaTech Frontiers, a new innovation cluster that has opened applications for the first £250,000 round of grant funding.

The programme, which offers individual grants of up to £10,000, is designed to help freelancers and small creative businesses develop groundbreaking ideas at the intersection of creativity and technology. The funding forms part of a £7.2 million, five-year initiative led by a consortium of regional powerhouses including Birmingham City University (BCU), University of Birmingham, Coventry University, University of Warwick, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It’s funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the UK Research and Innovation's Creative Industries Cluster Programme.

Photo Credit: University of Warwick

Officially launched on April 29 at STEAMhouse, BCU’s innovation centre, CreaTech Frontiers marks the first time the West Midlands has received funding through this prestigious national scheme.

Professor Lamberto Coccioli, Director of CreaTech Frontiers, said:

“These early-stage grants will give creative entrepreneurs access not just to capital, but also to university-led research and resources that can turn ambitious ideas into reality. This is about unlocking cultural, social and economic value across the region.”

CreaTech Frontiers is aiming to ignite a wave of innovation in sectors like gaming, immersive tech, live performance, visual arts, and creative technologies. Successful applicants will also gain access to facilities across the five partner institutions, along with specialist academic support during the R&D phase.

Future plans include a second, larger round of grant funding, a pilot with Birmingham Opera Company, collaborative projects with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the formation of an apprenticeship working group to support skills development.

Rachel Davis, Director of Warwick Enterprise, said:

“Through this collaboration, we’re strengthening the region’s identity as a creative and tech innovation hub. With a shared focus on inclusion and sustainability, CreaTech Frontiers will ensure diverse voices are at the forefront of this growing ecosystem.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority is also backing the initiative, which it believes could contribute £65 million and create 1,500 jobs by 2030 within the regional creative and gaming economy.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker added:

“Our region is full of bold, young thinkers pushing the boundaries of tech and creativity. CreaTech Frontiers connects these minds with the world-class research coming out of our universities, creating the conditions for global impact.”

Applications open Monday 2 June 2025.

Interested SMEs can register now

to be part of the next generation of CreaTech pioneers.

By Anushka Malhotra

2 May