Aston Villa will parade through Birmingham on Thursday to celebrate their 3-0 Europa League final victory over Freiburg, the club's first major European trophy in 42 years. Manager Unai Emery's side capped a remarkable campaign with a dominant display in Istanbul, where 8,000 fans erupted at the final whistle. The parade kicks off at 16:30 BST on Branston Street in the Jewellery Quarter and winds through Broad Street and Centenary Square.

Three open-top buses will lead the convoy, with the claret-colored bus carrying the players and a trophy lift serving as the centrepiece. Aston Villa is covering all costs for the event, which runs 60 to 90 minutes. Screens positioned along the route will let fans follow the action without crowding specific spots. Plans to recreate the 1982 European Cup celebrations at Victoria Square were ruled out over safety and overcrowding concerns.

Birmingham City Council has shut several streets including Branston Street, Broad Street, and Centenary Square from 10:00 to 22:00 BST. Fans who made the trip to Istanbul received an apology for missing the parade. Support spanned continents, with Villa supporters in Ghana chanting songs 4,000 miles away. The club will broadcast the parade live on VillaTV, YouTube, and its social media channels.