West Midlands becomes UK’s top filming location as Mayor confirms £100m investment in creative industries

The West Midlands is fast becoming the top TV and film location with production companies spending more here than anywhere else in the country, bringing millions of pounds into the economy and hundreds of exciting jobs to the region.

To capitalise on the momentum Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has opened a new Content Production Fund to applications to help producers and directors get their cameras rolling here on more TV dramas and big screen blockbusters.

The homecoming of global phenomenon Peaky Blinders, the relocation of long-running Silent Witness and filming of Bollywood blockbusters all contributed to a £15.5m economic boost in the first quarter of 2026.

According to Filming in England figures, that was almost 40 per cent of the industry’s total spend country-wide during that time.

And there is more to come with filming having just wrapped on The Cadburys, a new six-part TV drama which tells the story of the famous chocolate-making family, whose ambition, innovation and values helped shape 19th-century Birmingham and its industrial identity. It has local people in the crew and cast and will be screened on U and UDRAMA in 2027.

The new series of Peaky Blinders was filmed in the West Midlands as a direct result of support from Production Central WM, while also enabling The Cadburys to film in Birmingham, the city at the heart of the story, and other locations across the region.

The Mayor said: “This is a really exciting time to be working in our creative industries. The proof is in these latest industry figures which, alongside our new regional hub status from the British Film Commission, show that our screen sector is absolutely flying.

“It doesn’t surprise me because we’ve got some of the biggest names in the business based here, working alongside some fantastic up-and-coming talent. I’ve been on set at Peaky Blinders and The Cadburys and seen for myself the positive impact our investment in this sector is already having. I’ve met local people in their first jobs and others working here for the first time in their careers.

“These are our stories and it’s thanks to our new film and TV office that we’re telling them. With these new funds I’m announcing today more people will get the opportunities they need to build an exciting career in the West Midlands rather than having to leave.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Some of the best stories in Britain are still waiting to be told. They are rooted in the communities, people and places that make our country what it is.

“The West Midlands has shown the world the strength of its creative talent. Building on the global success of Peaky Blinders, this £100 million investment will give new writers, producers and creatives the backing to bring their ideas to life, putting the region at the forefront of Britain’s thriving creative industries.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, on the set of The Cadburys with Claire Campbell, the UKTV co-producer.

Speaking at the West Midlands Growth Summit in Coventry yesterday, the Mayor said high-profile TV dramas are helping to drive the growth of the West Midlands’ £4bn creative industries sector which has around 13,700 businesses supporting 38,000 jobs.

The Content Production Fund, alongside a third round of the IP Content Fund, will build on the success of Production Central, which in its first year has brought a number of filming projects to the region, and with them hundreds of jobs.

This year already, Peaky Blinders, Silent Witness and The Cadburys, among others, have provided thousands of hours of skilled work for technical crew, make-up artists, costume and set designers, many of whom live in the region. The Cadburys also includes three actors from Birmingham in the ensemble cast.

The IP Content Fund, run in partnership with Creative UK, has already supported the development of 25 new TV, film and digital projects over the past two years.

Among them are a 21st century reboot of children’s classic Bagpuss by Birmingham-based Threewise Entertainment and the recently aired BBC cosy crime drama The Hairdresser Mysteries, devised, written and filmed here by Mill Bay Media, also based in Birmingham.

Tens of thousands more jobs in the visitor economy are supported by a steady increase of domestic and international tourists credited to ‘set-jetting’ - where people travel to locations they've seen on screen.

The Mayor has brought together regional partners to unlock £100m into the creative industries to create jobs, improve skills and build more studio space and homes – all anchored by the transformation of Digbeth in Birmingham into a leading UK destination for the creative industries.

This includes the BBC almost doubling its production spend here, and new funding through the West Midlands Local Innovation Partnerships Fund’s Creative Industries Scale-Up Lab, and CreaTech Frontiers programme to develop new immersive technologies, products, and multi-platform content.

In addition, the BBC will relocate to its new HQ at the Tea Factory in Birmingham next year and the region now has its first major studios at Digbeth Loc.

Expressions of interest to the Content Production Fund can be made on the Production Central WM website.

Additional quotes:

Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning at UKTV, said:

“We're excited to reveal the first-look images from The Cadburys, a brilliant new feel-good drama inspired by one of Birmingham's most iconic stories. The series  showcases the exceptional creative talent, locations and production expertise found across the West Midlands, while bringing a story with deep roots in the region to audiences across the UK and beyond. We're proud to be working with our partners to bring this major new drama to screen and champion the West Midlands as a centre for world-class television production.”

Colette Foster, CEO at Birmingham-based Full Fat TV, said:

“There’s an exhilarating momentum behind the Midlands media landscape.  There are hugely ambitious productions across every genre: drama, documentaries, factual entertainment, children’s, news and current affairs, and digital content for YouTube. As a region we are proving how adept we are at delivering premium content across every platform, developing IP and adapting fast to new production and monetisation opportunities.”

Steven Knight, writer, director and creator of Peaky Blinders, said:

“The West Midlands is now up and running and open for creative business. To see the region punch beyond its weight, and more, is incredibly satisfying. The Peaky movie and the new Peaky TV series were made in Brum as a consequence of help from the new West Midlands film and TV office alongside investment in the area by Kudos Knight. The announcement of two new production funds will help keep the region’s media fortunes flying high.”

Jason Horton, chief operating officer, BBC Nations, said:

"The BBC is proud that its commitment to increase production spending in the West Midlands to £40m a year by the end of the current Charter forms a significant part of the wider £100m investment being made to accelerate growth across the region's creative industries. Together with productions such as Silent Witness, MasterChef and other major network commissions, this investment is helping establish the West Midlands as one of the UK's most important production hubs, creating jobs, developing skills and supporting long-term economic growth. We continue to work with the Mayor and other industry partners to further develop our plans to build the West Midlands creative cluster and attract further and much-needed investment to the region."

Martin Haines, co-managing director of Kudos, said:

“The filming of Peaky in Birmingham for the first time, bringing it home, has been a huge success on and off screen and is a testament to what can be achieved when public and private sector work together. The screen industry in the West Midlands is on a roll and the funds that Mayor Richard Parker and the WMCA are announcing today are a key part of sustaining our momentum.”

Notes to editors

UKTV press release and photos available at: FIRST LOOK images released for upcoming drama, The Cadburys