Birmingham’s booming nightlife is definitely up there as one of the top reasons to make this city your home as a student. There’s something for everyone, on every single night of the week. Combine that with the amazing student deals to be found and you have a winning combination!
Check out our list below for some of the many amazing nights you can have in the UKs second city.
Club-hopping on Broad Street
If hitting up some of the UK’s biggest clubs and dancing to chart-toppers until the early hours is your thing, then Broad Street will leave you spoilt for choice.
Get the pre-drinks flowing at Walkabout with its Twosday £2 drinks offer before heading to Pryzm. The 2,500-capacity venue is Birmingham’s biggest club and its student-only night on Tuesdays ensures discounts and dancing all night long.
Canalside bars at Brindley Place
If you’d rather a more relaxing, canal-side drink, head to Brindley Place. There are ample places to choose from for both dinner and drinks. If you’re a gin aficionado try The Gin Vault, a cozy bar offering over 350 gins. They have two-for-one cocktails from five until seven every Monday to Thursday.
Or head over the canal bridge to the recently opened and hugely popular Canal House. Here you can enjoy a drink in the beer garden overlooking the narrowboats. There’s also live music every night and a pub quiz on Sundays.
City center cocktails
For the classiest of evenings, make for the business district of Colmore Row where you will find the best cocktail bars in the city, including The Cosy Club, Dirty Martini and The Botanist - to name just a few!
Stroll a little further towards the Jewelry Quarter and you’ll be rewarded with even more crazy cocktails at The Jekyll and Hyde and Island Bar.
Monday to Sunday entertainment in the Gay Village
It is no exaggeration to say there is something happening every single night of the week in Birmingham’s gay village. The Village Inn is the UKs leading live cabaret venue, offering live shows seven days a week. Highlights include Monday bingo – including £1 drinks(!) – and karaoke Wednesdays.
At the weekend, finish your night at Nightingales, one of the UKs biggest and most popular gay super-clubs.
One event during the year which you definitely won’t want to miss is Birmingham Pride. Held every May Bank Holiday weekend on Hurst Street, it is the largest LGBTQ two-day festival in the whole of the UK.
Wacky crazy golf + cocktails = Ghetto Golf in Digbeth
A firm favorite with students and locals alike, Ghetto Golf in Digbeth offers an 18-hole crazy golf experience, surrounded by the work of the city’s best graffiti artists. While you play, you can sip on amazing cocktails and dance along to a live DJ.
Golfing highlights include the video game hole complete with neon lights and Super Mario backdrop, a bowling alley hole and a tricky putt which takes place inside a city bus.
Theater shows across the city
The Hippodrome, The Rep Theatre and The Alexandra are just a few of the theaters you can visit in Birmingham, all offering shows year-round. With Dirty Dancing and Les Misérables recently touring in Birmingham, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch an award-winning show.
At the Symphony Hall and Town Hall, you can also see performances from the award-winning Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet. A great option if the family are visiting!
Dance until dawn in Digbeth
Without question, Birmingham’s biggest, craziest and most unique club nights are to be found in Digbeth.
The Rainbow Venues have several locations around Digbeth where you can always find something to suit your taste.
Lab 11 is home to Magic Door, an event comprising mind-bending visuals and outrageous outfits. At Boxxed, a 10,000ft converted warehouse, you can dance next to life-size dinosaur models or catch your breath in the renovated static caravans. Wherever you go, Digbeth always provides a night to remember.
Laugh the night away at Birmingham’s comedy clubs
If you want a break from dancing and live music, The Glee Club in the Arcadian is one of the best-known and most loved comedy clubs in the country. Established over 20 years ago, it has hosted some of the country’s most popular acts and is the perfect place to watch the big names in comedy. Amazingly tickets start at just £5 for students!
Alternatively, try The Comedy Junction on Broad Street. There are often several acts a night on here, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and tickets are extremely cheap with prices starting from £9.
