Forged in Steel: A Festival of Elements
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Birmingham, Alabama
Saturday, May 23, 2026
10:00am – 4:00pm
Free + Open to All
Birmingham was built on fire and steel. Come celebrate it.
On May 23, 2026, the grounds of Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark come alive for Forged in Steel: A Festival of Elements — a free, one-day celebration of the art, science, and culture of metal.
This is the official opening day of the Symphony of Elements exhibit, and we're throwing the kind of event this city deserves. Expect live music in the midst of century-old furnace walls, the smell of food from local vendors, the spectacle of live metal casting, and the thrill of seeing high-definition metallurgy photography at full scale for the very first time.
This is Birmingham's day. And everyone is invited.
What's at the Festival
🎵 Live Music
Feel the rhythm of Birmingham's vibrant music scene against the backdrop of one of the city's most iconic industrial landmarks. Live performances throughout the day.
🍖 Food
Local Birmingham food vendors serving up the flavors of the city. Come hungry.
🔨 Metal Artists
Meet working metal artists and see their craft up close. From blacksmithing to sculpture, these are the people keeping Birmingham's metalworking tradition alive and evolving.
🔥 Live Casting Demonstrations
Watch molten metal transform before your eyes. Live casting demonstrations bring the science and drama of metallurgy to life in real time — this is not something you see every day.
🎤 Speakers
Hear from scientists, engineers, educators, and community leaders about the past, present, and future of the metals industry in Birmingham and beyond.
🖼️ The Symphony of Elements Gallery Exhibit
The main event. Step inside Sloss Furnaces and experience the opening of Symphony of Elements — a high-definition art and science exhibit revealing the microscopic beauty hidden inside real metals. Free admission. Open all day.
Where to Find Us
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
There is no better place on earth to celebrate the art and science of metal than Sloss Furnaces — a National Historic Landmark and one of the most iconic industrial sites in the United States.
Built in 1882 and in continuous operation for nearly 90 years, Sloss Furnaces produced millions of tons of pig iron and helped forge Birmingham into the industrial powerhouse it became. Today it stands as a monument to the workers, engineers, and visionaries who built this city from the ground up.
On May 23, those walls come alive again.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
20 32nd Street North
Birmingham, Alabama 35222