The festival letting fans follow in the footsteps of the Peaky Blinders

Thousands of Peaky Blinders fans in flat caps and flapper dresses came together at the TV drama's first official themed festival, where the attractions ranged from ballet to boxing.

A stone's throw from the street where the real Peaky Blinders' first crime was recorded 130 years ago, the gang returned to reclaim their turf - crowds of them, many dressed in the uniform of suits and peaked caps, or tassled party dresses and feathered headbands.

Thanks to the hit TV series inspired by the original Birmingham mobsters, it's no longer a gang. It's a tribe.

The show's creator Steven Knight said: "I spoke to a woman who said she'd come from LA. For the day. That is commitment.

"Somebody else just showed me their leg, which was covered in Peaky Blinders character tattoos. It's very humbling and gratifying that it's had this effect on people."

Kate Phillips, who plays Linda Shelby, was also at the event in Birmingham. "There's something about this visual style of the show that ignites people's excitement, and it's something that they themselves can participate in," she said.

"You can get involved. You can get the haircut, you can wear the shirt, you can feel like a Peaky Blinder. And the show itself is so atmospheric and so cool that you kind of want to be a part of it."

The 15,000 or so devoted fans at the Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival on Saturday have, like millions of viewers, been intoxicated by the mix of morally ambiguous mob drama, sepia atmosphere, sharp fashion and gritty modern music. The festival, which ends on Sunday, tried to cater for all of that - a curious cross between a cosplay convention, historical re-enactment and hip urban music festival.

• In pictures: Fans gather in their best 1920s garb

Singer Anna Calvi, who wrote the score for the current fifth season, said everyone was united by their love of the show.

"I really like the idea that any two strangers can start talking and have this thing in common, be excited for the same reason. I guess it's like going to see a football match or something," she said. "I think that's really sweet."