Sunday opening delayed to midday

UK PonyCon is delaying the opening of Sunday's event by two hours, from 10:00 to 12:00. The closing time remains at 18:00. Expect other short-notice changes to some aspects of the event.

This follows a fire that caused the evacuation of the Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre (New Street Station) at approximately 02:40. Many of our committee members and volunteers were staying at this hotel. We’re relieved to confirm that everyone is safe and accounted for. Understandably, some will need time to rest and reorganise before re-joining the event, which means we are unable to open as originally scheduled.

We’ve adjusted today’s event schedule - please check our website for the latest updates. Autograph and photograph sessions with Rebecca Shoichet will continue at their originally scheduled times. The UK PonyCon merchandise stall may open later or close briefly as we prioritise staffing across key areas. Stallholders can access the venue for setup from 08:15 as planned.

We strongly advise attendees to delay their arrival at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre accordingly. Security staff will be on site from 09:15 to assist and inform anyone arriving early.

Thank you very much for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unexpected challenge. The well-being of our team and attendees remains our top priority. We'd like to recognise and thank the members of our community who have supported each other and beyond while responding to this situation.