THE FINAL month of the City of Culture celebrations will kick off with ‘Coventry Opens’, showcasing the city’s creative sector across 50 venues.
The weekend will run from Thursday, May 5 until Sunday, May 8 and has been organised to mark the beginning of the City of Culture Trust’s May celebrations.
Coventry Opens will see 200 events take place to promote local cultural venues.
Activities will include African drumming and discos, orchestras, acoustic gigs, an all-day rave, and three choirs.
Comedy, poetry and family-friendly entertainment will be featured in Coventry Opens and museums, libraries and community centres will all be holding events.
It is hoped this event will give the people of Coventry an opportunity to rediscover venues they have not visited since the coronavirus outbreak.
It will also showcase much of the investment Coventry has received over the past two years.
Chenine Bhathena, creative director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the public to engage with the diverse array of spaces and venues across the city, as we open the door to them for a long weekend of wide-ranging activities.
“The enthusiasm the city’s venues and organisations have shown to get involved in Coventry Opens has been inspiring.
“It’s a strong indication Coventry residents will continue to have plenty of arts and entertainment to sink their teeth into once the City of Culture year ends.”
Alongside ‘Coventry Opens’ there will be a plethora of events to round off the City of Culture.
The Reel Store, the UK’ first permanent immersive digital art gallery, will be opening on May 13 at the Telegraph Hotel.
The world premiere of The Awakening by groundbreaking French company Gratte Ciel will take place above Broadgate that evening and will be repeated on May 14.
Our Wilder Family, an artist-led drone show inspired by the movements of flocks of birds, will take to the skies on the Sunday to wrap up the weekend.
Coventry’s parks and green spaces will be celebrated across the following weekend at ‘Wildlife Gathering’, while the festivities end between May 27 to 29 at Coventry’s War Memorial with BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
