Iconic UK venue set to reopen under new guise

An iconic Birmingham venue that has previously welcomed artists ranging from Bob Marley to Ed Sheeran is set to open its doors for the first time in a decade.

The 3,500-capacity Forum Birmingham – formerly known as The Ballroom, the Hummingbird and Carling Academy Birmingham – has been renovated and modernised by Global Venues in time for the UK’s rollback of restrictions in late summer.

From its early days as The Ballroom, the venue evolved into the Top Rank Suite in the 1960s and ’70s and hosted iconic acts like Bob Marley & The Wailers and The Clash.

In the 1980s the venue became the Hummingbird and welcomed artists including Nirvana, Sonic Youth and The Beastie Boys before its doors closed in 1994.

The venue later had a spell in the 2000s as Carling Academy Birmingham and boasted concerts from the likes of Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran.

In the 1980s the venue became the Hummingbird and welcomed Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Beastie Boys

Now, under its new guise, Forum Birmingham has already booked shows promoted by AEG Presents, Goldenvoice, Kilimanjaro Live and Cream plus local promoters Leftfoot, Shadow City and Foliée.

Full line-ups will be revealed at the end of April along with a complete list of promotions.

“Prior to the pandemic, a quarter of a million people in the West Midlands worked in the culture, media and night time industries and the relaunch of this historic venue in Birmingham will help to refuel this damaged part of our local economy,” says Billy Chauhan of Global Venues. “We’re also extremely passionate about preserving Birmingham’s musical heritage and our work culminates with Forum Birmingham.”

Forum Birmingham has also announced an exclusive ticket partnership with renowned electronic music events platform and publication Resident Advisor (RA).

RA will provide Forum with its own branded white label platform through which tickets will be sold, as well as offering tickets through its main website.

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