There's only one way to make the best gig of your life just a little bit better: visiting the best pre-gig bars in Birmingham. Found near Birmingham's music arenas and well within walking distance, these bars are a great place to settle those pre-gig nerves; you might even be surprised to find that the gig you're heading to, is right downstairs! Check out our recommendations for some of the best pre-gig bars in Birmingham.
Last edited by Faith Strickland
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What goes well with a gig in Birmingham? Craft beer! But a walk away from both Institute and O2 Academy, Brewdog is a popular craft beer bar in Birmingham known for its cool urban vibes and plethora of quirky beer options.
One of Digbeth's coolest bars, Spotlight bar is a great spot for an urban tipple or three before you make your way to one of Birmingham's biggest music venues, Institute. Brimming with vintage quirks and underground vibes, you'll more than likely pick up on a few other pre-giggers settling in for a drink at this bar before the show begins just around the corner.
Another bar practically en route to O2 Academy, The Victoria is one of Birmingham's most unique boozers. Clad with whimsical pieces, a grand whisky selection and some of the coolest locally commissioned art in town, The Victoria is awash with gig friendly punters nearly every night of the week.
Fancy going for a drink before the gig but don't fancy going all that far to find it? Well then, how about a drink in the gig venue itself? Perfectly poised by the Birmingham canal, The Flapper is a renowned Birmingham pub and home to Brum's alternative crowd. Grab a drink upstairs and peruse the canal's sights before heading downstairs for raucous amps and grand acoustics.
If you're heading to a gig at indie music bar The Sunflower Lounge, then you're more than likely to be heading for a drink at The Sunflower Lounge. Just a pitter patter away from Birmingham's New Street Station, The Sunflower Lounge boasts an upstairs downstairs split. This means that while you wait for the gig to start downstairs, you can have a cheeky tipple at the bar upstairs.
