Birmingham is not as popular or as populous as London, but it never needed to be.
It didn’t have the Fab Four, but it did birth a foursome of rockers who changed the world through music.
Birmingham may be the UK’s second city, but it should be one of the first English cities on your list to visit. Here’s your guide to Birmingham in the UK.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Maremagnum. Image Location: Birmingham Cathedral, Birmingham, England, UK
Birmingham breakdown
One life, you’ve gotta live it up in Birmingham.
Where is Birmingham UK?
About 4,220 miles from Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham is located in England’s West Midlands region, 100 mi northwest of London, and is one of the largest cities in the United Kingdom.
What is the population of Birmingham UK?
According to the census, Birmingham UK’s population is 1.13 million as of 2021. London is far larger, but as the second-largest city in the UK, Birmingham beats out cities like Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff, and Liverpool.
Time in Birmingham UK
Birmingham UK is located in the GMT timezone. So if you’re ringing in the New Year in Birmingham at midnight (00:00 GMT), it’s:
- 02:00 AM in Athens, Greece
- 01:00 AM in Rome, Italy
- 7:00 PM in New York, US
- 4:00 PM in California, US
Weather in Birmingham UK
Let’s talk weather in Birmingham UK, because the climate is going to impact your what you pack. Summertime highs are around 68℉, and though the sun might be out, it’s not exactly the Canary Islands.
Spring and autumn play tug-of-war with the weather in Birmingham UK: some days you’re enjoying the sun with a light jacket, other days you’re bundling a little tighter than you planned as the rain starts to fall. Winter is colder, but not frigid. Temperatures in the 46℉ range mean a low chance for snow and not a terrible time outdoors, especially with fewer tourists out and about.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Maremagnum. Image Location: Cannon Street, Birmingham, England, UK
What is the Birmingham UK accent?
Those from Birmingham speak with a "Brummie" accent, which is different from a London accent and even a nearby Black Country accent, a bit of knowledge which might earn you a nod of acceptance in Brum. If you need an example, look to Ozzy Osbourne (probably best to search for an interview from the Black Sabbath days). Best to brush up on your British slang before arriving, too.
Getting to Birmingham train station
There are a number of train stations around Birmingham served by the West Midlands Railway, Chiltern Railway, CrossCountry, and Avanti West Coast, like Erdington, Lea Hall, Five Ways, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street. Birmingham New Street is the main train station in Birmingham city center.
From the Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Birmingham New Street station
The Birmingham International Station connects to Birmingham New Street station, as well as other train stations in England. Take the free Air-Rail Link from the airport to the nearby Birmingham International Station then ride to Birmingham New Street in 10 minutes.
From London to Birmingham by train
London Euston station connects to Birmingham New Street station with direct non-stop routes with journey times as fast as 1h 16m. London Marylebone station connects to Birmingham Moor Street in 2h 16m, which is within walking distance of Birmingham New Street.
Image Credit: Getty Images, mhforephotography. Image Location: Old Turn Junction, Gas Street Basin, Birmingham, England, UK
What to do in Birmingham UK
You’ve already got a pretty good idea of what to do in Birmingham if you planned a trip based on your entertainment preferences…
Things to do in Birmingham for Peaky Blinders fans
Peaky Blinders fans, take a breath: much of the show was filmed in Liverpool, not Brum. Apart from the Black Country Living Museum in nearby Dudley, you’ll have to venture north to find many of these Peaky Blinders filming locations, but you can take historical walking tours that focus on the slogging gangs that Peaky Blinders was inspired by. You'll also love the National Trust's Birmingham Back to Backs, four restored historic houses where you can step into what it was like for working-class Brummies between 1840 and 1974.
What is the birthplace of heavy metal?
Just as fans visit Liverpool for the Beatles, headbangers visit Birmingham because it’s the birthplace of heavy metal. Pioneering band Black Sabbath hails from Birmingham. You’ll be greeted by Ozzy the Bull at New Street station before seeking out an Ozzy mural, the Black Sabbath Bridge & Bench, and pubs playing the latest metal bands from Birmingham’s scene.
Image Credit: Getty Images, holgs. Image Location: Birmingham, England, UK
Things to do in Birmingham for everyone else
You needn’t rock into Birmingham with a flat cap and a Napalm Death t-shirt to have a good time.
Museums in Birmingham UK
Bounce around Birmingham’s museums and you’ll learn how to make coffins at The Coffin Works, find fossils trapped in Wenlock limestone at the Lapworth Museum of Geology, and discover everything from a planetarium to potted plants at the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum.
Birmingham UK Restaurants
Eating in Birmingham means eating a balti. The Birmingham Balti is a curry that was first created in Birmingham, adapted for British tastes and cooked in a balti bowl—a thin steel bowl a bit like a wok. It’s not your standard curry and is worth trying at one of the balti houses in the famous "Balti Triangle" area south of the city center.
If you need stars in your stomach, Michelin threw one-a-piece to Adam’s, Opheem, Simpsons, and Purnell’s. A dirty burger is on the plate courtesy of the “purveyors of filth”, the Original Patty Men. Fried chicken at Bonehead and Chinese bao from Tiger Bites Pig are also great ways to fill your belly in Birmingham.
Birmingham UK Pubs
The bars in Birmingham UK near New Street Station that you’ll find us in are the Bacchus Bar, because it’s dripping with history, and The Head of Steam, which is an infant in comparison but has a great vegan-friendly menu.
Other Birmingham UK pubs you may want to stop and sip in are Couch, which got a nod as one of the best in the world, Missing Bar, which is LGBTQ+ friendly and hosts a great drag show, and Subside Bar, where rock music, pool tables, and no BS are on the setlist.
Heavy metal train tracks
Take a day trip from London and see what Birmingham is all about. Download the Trainline app and start planning your visit to Birmingham today.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Poisoned Heart. Image Location: Selfridges Building, The Bullring, Birmingham, England, UK