Built in 1901, The Alexandra has been home to first-class entertainment in the second city for 125 years. Showcasing spectacular musicals, comedy, plays and much more. The Alex is proud to enrich Birmingham’s cultural landscape by presenting a variety of touring productions to audiences throughout the year. Much of the theatre’s original architecture, built by William Coutts, remains, despite refurbishments during its lifetime.
Birmingham HippodromeBirmingham Hippodrome is one of the UK’s busiest and most vibrant arts venues. Its rich history spans over 125 years, with the Hippodrome now welcoming over 600,000 paid visitors a year to the main house and Patrick Studio, to world-class musicals, large-scale ballet and opera, drama and family productions. The annual pantomime welcomes over 100,000 people. The Hippodrome is the home of Birmingham Royal Ballet, FABRIC, Mercury Musical Developments and One Dance UK.
Birmingham Rep has three stages: The House, The Door and The Studio. Opened in 1913 and founded by Barry Jackson, it produces a wide range of drama, much of which goes on to tour nationally and internationally. In 1971, the theatre moved from Station Street to Broad Street.
The original building is still in use as a theatre, called The Old Rep, which itself has a sister theatre, The Crescent Theatre, on Sheepcote Street.
The Old Joint Stock Theatre seats 80 in a flexible arrangement and is located on the second floor of a Victorian listed building originally designed as a library when it was built in 1862. It was later acquired by the Birmingham Joint Stock Bank, which amalgamated with Lloyds Bank in 1889. Converted into a pub in 1997, the theatre opened in 2006, and hosts a wide variety of performances including plays, musicals, comedy and drag shows.
MAC Birmingham, originally known as Midlands Arts Centre, was established in 1962. Set in the magnificent surroundings of Cannon Hill Park, it is the most visited free attraction in the West Midlands, welcoming over 850,000 visitors annually. They offer a dynamic programme of live theatre, cinema, visual arts exhibitions, practical courses and special events. There are four performance auditoria, rehearsal and media studios, a cinema, a café, bar and art gallery.
Hosting city centre venues, Town Hall & Symphony Hall, B: Music believes that music is essential to everyone and has the power to transform and change lives, to entertain and uplift, to create shared experiences and to educate. Their venues and performance spaces are for everyone, where they can feel welcome and be their authentic selves with no fear of judgement. Each year, they welcome more than 500,000 visitors to enjoy their programme of over 700 concerts featuring local, regional and international music.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Run by the Birmingham Museums Trust, who run eight other museums around the city. The museum and art gallery has a collection of international importance overing fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, natural history, archaeology, ethnography, local history and industrial history. General admission is free although some major exhibitions incur an entrance fee.
Whilst not a factory tour, Cadbury World offers its visitors the opportunity to explore and discover chocolate’s history, and to learn about the origins and story of the Cadbury business. There are fourteen ‘zones’ to explore, and the experience includes static sets, animatronics, video presentations, multi-sensory cinema, interactive displays and activities, and staff demonstrations.
The green heart of Birmingham, the Botanical Gardens offers a uniquely biodiverse natural environment. It has remained remarkably intact since 1829, set on fifteen acres of landscaped greenery. The Gardens offers something for everyone, with over 30,000 plants to explore in four Victorian glasshouses and exciting outdoor gardens, including two Alpine Gardens, the Japanese Garden showcasing the National Bonsai Collection, a Pinetum, the Adventure Playground, and a rolling lawn overlooking the authentic bandstand. Make a day of it, with a café, seasonal garden walks and a variety of fun events throughout the year.
Stadium tours are available at St Andrew’s, home of Birmingham City Football Club. The tour offers an opportunity to explore areas which are usually off-limits, such as the home and away changing room, and the press area. Fans will step out onto the pitch through the players’ tunnel, before taking a seat in the home dugout to envisage a matchday. Villa Park, home of Aston Villa Football Club, allows fans to go pitchside to look at the club’s hallowed turf, check out the home dressing room used by the first team on a match day, and take the head coach’s position on the bench and attend the post-match press conference room.