A Music Lovers Guide To Birmingham England

Birmingham is one of the most active cities in the country for music – but what are the best hangouts, venues and record shops? Read on to delve in to the city of Birmingham’s musical heritage and prowess.

Notable bands

Birmingham has always been a hotbed for music, with reggae and heavy metal two of its finest imports. Notable acts to come from the city include Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, UB40, Steel Pulse, Electric Light Orchestra, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Ocean Colour Scene and more recently, The Streets, The Twang, Laura Mvula and Peace.

Bars

Venues

Whether you’re after up and coming bands or some of the most famous in the world, you’re in luck here. From the likes of Mama Roux’s in Digbeth – a 250 capacity, New Orleans themed venue – through to the 15,700 capacity Genting Arena, Birmingham welcomes a wealth of international artists to its multitude of venues daily. The Symphony Hall is one of the country’s most renowned concert halls thanks to its aesthetics and acoustics, while you’ve also got the two O2 venues, Academy and Institute, which hosts events across its six spaces combined.

Festivals

While Birmingham may feel like a concrete jungle, it’s also home to some of the city’s best small festivals. Each year, Moseley Park plays host to the Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul and Moseley Folk festivals, with other events like MADE and the Birmingham Weekender lighting up the city’s festival calendar.

Record shops

While the city may not be blessed with too many record shops, Birmingham does boast the oldest record shop in England, The Diskery. Mostly stocking preloved records, The Diskery staff pride themselves on their customer service and often offer browsers a cup of tea and a biscuit. For the latest releases you’ll want to head to Ignite or Swordfish, who both offer a superb selection of vinyl.

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