30 things To Do In Birmingham

Want to explore and experience Birmingham as a local? Roam the streets and bar hop to your heart’s content? Then we have curated the perfect list for you! Listed down is your ready-to-go itinerary of the top 30 things to do in Birmingham that promises you the best time of your life. From the best restaurants to eat at and flashy bars with music to shimmy at and stride the city like the Shelbys, we got your back!

Best Restaurants in Birmingham

1. The Distillery
The Distillery is a budget eatery in the heart of Birmingham that is guaranteed to be hit. For a fairly priced dinner that you'll be talking about for days, tuck into a burger or treat yourself to something from their rotisserie and robata grill.

2. Gas Street Social
One of Birmingham's most economical eateries, Gas Street Social's menu is straightforward, seasonal, and, most importantly, a deal. They have mastered their variety of traditional dishes, and they also have artisanal drinks that will make you swoon. You can check out their Instagram for more updates @gasstsocial‍

3. Bodega
On Taco Tuesday, knowing that your dinner at Bodega is also reasonably priced will make every mouthful immeasurably more delightful. At this budget-friendly Birmingham restaurant, relax while enjoying a traditional South American dish and a cocktail while also knowing that your pocketbook is smiling.

4. The Birmingham Stable
Everyone has pals that like to get a deal on a night out. The Stable is, without a doubt, the spot to take them because it offers reasonably priced pizza, pies, and ale. The casual dining location is perfect for the occasion because it serves locally made fresh sourdough.

5. Kimchi Korean Restaurant
One of Birmingham's top restaurants, Kimchi Korean Restaurant, serves delectable Korean and Japanese fare at a very affordable price. This is the go-to spot for college students looking for some comfort food to eat after a long day because it is situated in Birmingham's renowned student neighbourhood, Selly Oak. You must taste their energising soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, which range from Kloud beer to Aloe Vera to Bong Bong Grape.

6. Sabai Sabai
Sabai Sabai is quietly thriving, with a few locations scattered throughout Moseley, Harborne, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Birmingham's downtown. The restaurant's incredible Thai food menu has something for everyone, whether they want traditional pad thai, seafood, or vegan cuisine. Before you even take a taste, your senses will be overloaded, and the cuisine is always extremely addictive. Return trips are advised.‍

7. Raja Monkey
Raja Monkey is a canteen-style South Indian eatery. Visit a curry place if you really want to eat like a Birmingham resident. We advise going to Raja Monkey instead of the well-known restaurants in the Balti Triangle, which is south of the city centre. This eatery in Hall Green offers thalis and cheery informal street food appetisers like dosa and uttapam. Try the thalis to get a sample of the cuisine.

8. Ba-Ha
Birmingham's The Rainbow is home to the delicious vegan restaurant BA-HA, which provides delectable plant-based cuisine. This restaurant is the top-rated plant-based eatery in Birmingham's central business district because the ingredients are always fresh and locally produced. You won't be let down by the handmade Katsu Chick entrée, which features golden Kentucky strips in katsu sauce, seasoned fries, slaw with pickled radish, and sesame. The best thing is that they even provide a bottomless brunch deal with every Saturday and Sunday. Unbelievable meals and drinks at a set price? Oh, yes, please!

Best Bars in Birmingham

9. Sobar
With its soft leather seats and outdoor patio set to funk and soul music, this hip hotspot in the centre of the Chinese Quarter maintains an Asian vibe. You can unwind here in between lectures or have a good time after exams; either way, you can enjoy one of Birmingham's top student pubs while sipping on 2-for-1 cocktails.

10. Be at One
Take advantage of Be At One's daily 2-for-1 happy hour promotions to fill up on alcohol. The Buenot, a cocktail created with Kahl'a salted caramel, white chocolate cream liqueur, vanilla ice cream, and a Kinder Bueno on top, is among the interesting new beverages available at one of the greatest bars for students.

11. The Ruin
This Digbeth street pub, which was inspired by the ruin bars of Budapest, is one of the top spots for Birmingham college students to drink. Don't be fooled by the worn-out furnishings and shabby chic ambience since some of Birmingham's best cocktails are served in this Grade II listed building. The Ruin is a great place to start (or end) the night because it is adjacent to Digbeth Dining Club and Ghetto Golf.

12. The Sunflower Lounge
Live music enthusiasts will adore this independent venue, which attracts a chill clientele. In one of Birmingham's cocktail bars with the highest concentration of students, you may enjoy a private concert with your date or unwind with friends. Learn about new independent artists, and keep an eye on social media for seriously cool events like album launches.

13. The Gin Vault
Gin bars are a necessary component of each metropolis, and occasionally we are most appreciative of their secret counterparts. A canalside door is the sole way to enter the basement pub, The Gin Vault, which is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it establishment. The interior is made up entirely of rough wood panelling and exposed bricks, but creative lighting and live music on the weekends warm the space up.

14. The Flapper
One of Birmingham's top independent live music venues is this canalside tavern. You may see your favourite new artist perform in a small-scale setting or catch a local band at some of Birmingham's top student nights. The beer garden and terrace on the second story look out over the river.

15. Stag DigbethHave you ever considered drinking whisky while having a haircut to heighten the relaxing experience? Digbeth's Stag is here to make you feel incredibly rejuvenated for the weekend. The venue, which doubles as a bar, coffee shop, and barbershop, offers a crisp trim as well as live music performances and DJs. It's also quite simple to stay put, thanks to the menu's selection of tangy drinks like Barbicide.

Places to Visit in Birmingham

16. Watch Broadway at The Alexandra
With 120 years of entertainment in Birmingham, The Alexandra is a venerable theatre and has become a top attraction spot since ages. It was built in 1901 and mostly showcases Broadway performances like Jersey Boys, Grease, and Chicago. It also hosts opera performances, family entertainment, and some of the biggest names in stand-up comedy on its stage.

17. Tour the Museum of Jewellery
If you’re looking for the most exciting things to do in Birmingham, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter could be it. The museum is an ex-jewellery factory that closed in the 1980s after over 80 years in business. Offering a glimpse into the industry that has been a part of the area for 200 years, it is preserved as it was when the owners closed up shop for the last time.

18. Concert at Birmingham Symphony hall & Town Hall
One of the best places in the city to see a live performance is the gorgeous and opulent Birmingham Town Hall. A few times each week, it features a range of acts, including stand-up comedy, classical music, ballet, and jazz. Surprisingly, the town hall was built for concerts and performances rather than for official functions. It was truly historic when Charles Dickens performed the first reading of A Christmas Carol at the Town Hall in 1853.

19. Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), one of the city's most significant museums, has over 40 galleries featuring significant artworks, archaeological finds, and cultural artefacts. It is home to  Pre-Raphealite paintings, French impressionist pieces, and Italian Renaissance pieces and makes up a sizeable portion of its collection. In addition to the sign from the HP Sauce factory in Birmingham, which is regarded as a cultural landmark by Brits, it also has artefacts from Ancient Egypt, India, and Central Asia.

20. Watch the Modern dance at Birmingham Hippodrome 
The Hippodrome, one of the most varied cultural venues in the city, is the home of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. You can choose from a variety of dance performances, from classical ballet to contemporary hip-hop and experimental ones, so you're sure to discover something you like. The Hippodrome also hosts notable productions of Broadway musicals, regular Opera, and comedies.

21. Southern Museum of Flight
The Southern Museum of Flight is the ideal destination to spend an afternoon soaking up all things aviation. With an amazing collection that features everything from aircraft and helicopters from World War II to rockets and even hovering ufos (okay, maybe not that last one). This air museum will guide you through almost a century of history, all over 75000 square feet of – as the Museum puts it – "learning possibilities."‍

22. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
While in Birmingham, Alabama, you cannot miss the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. There are more than 1,200 race cars and bikes in the total collection. For motorsport followers, the museum is a terrific place to visit because it displays some of the rarest and most expensive automobiles and motorcycles in the world. Due to its extensive collection of "moving objects of art," the museum will be inspiring to visitors of all backgrounds. It's important to remember that the museum was established because of a man's love of speed. The museum's rich collection reflects its passion. Because many of the vehicles and bikes at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum have been restored to race-ready condition, it can also be referred to as a living museum. The museum is encircled by a working track, which frequently serves as the setting for races showcasing a particular museum's great collection. The museum has had various models from the late 1800s until the present.

Fun Things to do in Birmingham

23. Meet sea turtles at the National SEA LIFE Centre
Take a trip deep beneath the world’s oceans at the National SEA LIFE Centre. Wondering what to do in a normal aquarium? See fantastic fish and marvellous mammals in the UK’s only 360-degree Ocean Tunnel. Visit the aquarium’s giant green sea turtles and learn about the rehabilitation program for injured and lost creatures. See elegant Black Tip Reef Sharks and colourful clownfish and meet Bev, the Giant Pacific Octopus. There is so much to discover here; it’s sure to be a fun day for the whole family.‍

24. Taste chocolates at Cadbury World
Cadbury’s chocolate is known and loved throughout the world and is one of Britain’s most popular exports. It was here in Birmingham that the company was first founded way back in 1824. Cadbury World covers the history of the company’s chocolate-making, from its humble beginnings in Bull Street and also has fun exhibits about the history of chocolate. Visit the Aztec Jungles of Mexico, where the cocoa bean originated, and, of course, try some of the company’s best-loved products.‍

25. Visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham's Botanical Gardens has stayed nearly untouched since it was first designed in 1830 by eminent horticultural and writer J.C. Loudon. More than 1,000 kinds of plants from tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean, Alpine, and desert regions are housed in the gardens' several ancient glasshouses. There's also a butterfly house where tropical species from the Philippines, Central America, and Africa can be found. The Botanical Gardens offers a variety of courses in organic gardening and landscape design, as well as guided tours.‍

26. Walk the Spooky side of Birmingham
Take a ghost tour of Birmingham to learn more about this historical and industrial city's spooky side. On a self-guided tour of the city, stop by some of the most notorious locations, including Shrewsbury Prison, Gas Street Basin, and the Town Hall. Here, you can read spine-tingling ghost stories and learn horrifying details about the places you travel to. You'll spend days sleeping with the light on after taking these tours.

27. Partake in a duel at the Jukeboxers
Jukeboxers is a brand-new club in Brindley Place that features non-stop live music every single night that is entirely request-based. Customers choose the playlist using an app, which includes artists like The Beatles and Beyoncé. The establishment's focus is having a good time, and you'll be sure to find one thanks to the rotating band of musicians that perform until 2.30 a.m. and a well-stocked drinks menu that includes everything from classic cocktails to aged whiskey.

28. See behind the scenes at Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Nothing is more distinctly English than a cricket match, and Birmingham is home to one of the premier venues for watching one. One of the nation's most electrifying international test venues is Edgbaston, the home of the Warwickshire County Cricket Club and many England games. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Warwickshire and England changing room, the field, the media centre, and more by taking a tour of the stadium.

29. Fill your bags at the city’s most iconic shopping centres.
Birmingham, a market city since the twelfth century, is still a hotspot for shoppers. The historic Selfridges structure is now a part of the enormous mall once known as The Bullring. The Mailbox, which is located across the town, is a more posh venue home to stores like Harvey Nichols and Emporio Armani. Due to this, it has become a must-visit stop in Birmingham. The most intriguing are the local stalls, which can be found all across town and in areas like as the magnificent Great Western Arcade.

30. Take the ‘Peaky Blinders’ tour and follow in the footsteps of Birmingham’s baddest gang.
For hard-core Peaky fans, this will definitely top the list of to do things in Birmingham. On these exclusive tours, you'll be stalking the same streets as the actual Peaky Blinders once did, owing to the fact that you love the series and have a burning wish to enter Birmingham's most notorious criminal gang. Visit the Steelhouse Lane police station's lock-up during a Peaky Tour in Digbeth to see where some of the gang members were detained. Further, you can also visit the TV show's sets in person at the stunning outdoor Black Country Living Museum and have a first-hand experience.

Go on now! Explore these 30 places in this beautiful Brum city with your friends and let us know your favourite place in the comments below. Be back again to learn more about more such fun things to do in any city you wish to visit!