Things To Do This Summer In Birmingham

We'll be real, there are almost too many things to do in Birmingham in summer. Seriously. Between live music, festivals, Birmingham’s natural beauties such as Cannon Hill Park, foodie events, and all the staple activities of British summertime, it’s looking like 2022 is going to be rammed with joy and laughs.

As you’re probably eager to kick off your summer, we figured we’d better not waste your time. So here are the best things to do in Birmingham in summer.

 

Ride a Sherborne Wharf Narrowboat

Sherborne Wharf on Facebook 

Cruising through Birmingham’s canals on a sunny day is about as summery as it gets. Hop on a narrowboat and enjoy the weather while experiencing the city in a new way. It’s cheap, cheerful, summery, and it makes a nice change!

 

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Complete the Zog the dragon trail at Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle on Facebook 

Currently, there are Zog the dragon attractions, including live on-stage performances, a trail, and a themed playground for kids. It’ll keep them happy all day! But it’s also a good day out for adults and older kids, thanks to the Horrible Histories Maze, walk-through experiences, archery, The Trebuchet, and The Peacock Garden.

 

Find tickets for family-friendly events - here

 

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Get rowdy at brunch

Bierkeller Birmingham on Facebook 

We’d argue there’s no better way to kick off your weekend than smashing through bottomless rum punch at a huge brunch party. And Birmingham is full of brunch events this summer. Choose from UKG-themed, bashment Jamaican independence brunches, reggae brunches, RnB brunches, the summer soirée brunch, and many others. Luna Springs is also known for their killer brunches. 

 

Find tickets for brunch events - here

 

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Stroll The Botanical Gardens

Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Facebook 

Look at it; it’s beautiful! Strolling the gardens is easily one of the best things to do in Birmingham in the summer. Explore the glasshouses which contain over 1,000 species of plants, spot butterflies, and do the seasonal walk that shows you the areas of the garden that look their best during that month. Maybe you could even attend one of the garden's many events, such as outdoor yoga, theatre performances, and live music performances.

 

Find tickets for events at Birmingham Botanical Gardens - here

 

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Delight your taste buds at a food festival

ChocFest on Facebook 

There are so many going down that we don’t have the space to list them all. So let's just get straight to it. Some cracking food fests coming up in Birmingham include ChocFest (yep, a chocolate festival!), the British Halal Food Festival, The Jamaican Independence Jerk Festival, Birmingham Wing Fest, Burger Fest at Aston Hall, and Hot Sauce Society. And we’ve only scratched the surface…

 

Find tickets for food and drink events - here

 

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Head to the beer gardens!

The Gosta Green on Facebook 

A beer garden is bliss at any time of the year. So it’s obviously one of the best things to do in Birmingham in summer. Especially because the city’s beer gardens are brill. Some cracking venues to sip a cold brewski in include The Old Crown, The Gosta Green, Dead Wax, The Button Factory, and The Canal House.

 

Find tickets for bar and pub events- here

 

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Ride the swan boats at Cannon Hill Park

Cannon Hill Park on Facebook 

Cannon Hill Park to show you the park from a different angle in two or feat seat pedal boats. Pedal off into the sunset with your sweetheart, mate or family, soak in the views, enjoy the weather and relax. 

If you get a bit fed up, there are loads more activities in the park to keep you busy. Check out Golden Putter Mini Golf, meet the animals in the Wildlife Conservation Park, see what's on in the MAC, and make good use of the sports facilities. 

  

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Hit an alcohol event 

Beer Central Festival on Facebook 

No one can deny alcohol pairs insanely well with summer, so an alcohol-themed event will go down a treat. Head to Wine and Shine on the 15th of July, the Loki Summer Wine & Spirits Fair at the end of July, and the Beer Central Festival in September. Or push the boat out (quite literally) and try something different with a two-hour gin cruise by The Gintleman. 

  

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Cool off by diving into a lido 

Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre & The Lido on Facebook 

Just a 45-minute journey away from Birmingham is the Droitwich Lido. Like an oasis in the desert, the lido will be there to rescue you on the most humid, uncomfortable days when you’d kill for a bit of rain. You can choose one or two-hour sessions, and under 2's go free! 

  

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Chill in front of your favourite film at an open-air cinema 

Luna Springs on Facebook 

Everyone knows the comfort of curling up in front of a good film. But when you’re dying to get out and about  in the summer, sitting inside isn't an option. And that’s why open-air cinemas are where it's at. 

Luna Springs is an outdoor bar that’s known for its events. And some upcoming cinema events include The Moonlight Cinema and Pup Cinema. And yep, the Pup Cinema is a film screening you can bring your pup to! There will also be a screening of Mamma Mia! at Baddesley Clinton, a beautiful National Trust park just after sunset. It'll be beautiful.  

 

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Bust out the barbie

Francesco Paggiaro on Pexels

Burnt ends, the summer breeze blowing through your hair, and the crazy delicious smell of thick barbecue smoke in the air. Honestly, we don’t think much can beat the pure euphoria of a summertime barbecue. The only downside is the cleaning up. So if the tidying is putting you off, check out the Old School Hip-Hop Outdoor Summer BBQ for a day of barbecues and beats. It literally doesn’t get any better than this.

  

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Enjoy a picnic 

 

Brett Sayles on Facebook 

Prosecco in the park with some finger sandwiches, cocktail sausages, scotch eggs, and some cakes are all you need for a simple but beautiful day out. Collect all your snacks and booze, head to the park with a blanket, a speaker, and maybe a frisbee or footie, tuck in, have a few games then just chill in the sun, it’ll be stunning. 

  

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Eat your way around the Hockley Social Club

Hockley Social Club on Facebook 

Hockley Social Club is a bit off everything good. It's a street food dining hall with an events space and a coffee shop, and it works perfectly as a late-night hangout spot. The club has three permanent kitchens and one kitchen that rotates monthly so there's something new to try each month. 

 

Find tickets for food events- here

 

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See what’s happening at The Custard Factory

The Custard Factory on Facebook 

One of the best things to do in Birmingham in summer is to explore the adult playground that is The Custard Factory. Look out for Crazy Pedros, the part-time pizza parlour with crisps, peas, chips, blueberries and other whacky toppings, In A Box, a gamers paradise, and Ball Park, a ball pit for adults. There’s loads more to check out but we’ll let you discover it for yourself.

 

Find tickets for events at The Custard Factory - here

 

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Get involved with Pride 

Birmingham Pride on Facebook 

Returning towards the end of summer, Birmingham Pride is always a delightful time complete with the parade and festival. Dripping in nostalgia, Steps will take to the stage and colour the day with cheesy pop throwback tunes. There's also the dance arena, cabaret stage, and the future stage featuring more music featuring some of the city's rising stars. 

 

Find tickets for other Pride events in Birmingham - here

 

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Attend a music festival or gig 

Wireless Festival on Facebook 

We don’t need to tell you why and how music festivals pair so well with summer, so instead, we’ll just tell you about some fests coming up this year that we can’t wait for. 

The Big Family Festival is the festival for kids in 2022 with countless activities to get stuck into. For fans of electronic music, Anomaly Summer of Love will be unreal. Back To The 90s is the best festival for indulging in some throwback vibes. And Jerk Festival will be the biggest celebration of Jamaica's Independence complete with food, tunes, booze, and more. 

For something bigger, Wireless Festival and Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival will be going down with some big names tearing up their stages. 

 

Find tickets for gigs and festivals - here

 

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Embarrass yourself on the club dancefloor 

LAB11 on Facebook 

It’s warm, it’s summer, we’re all feeling it, so get down to a club for a boogie. With loads of clubs to choose from, you can spend your nights dancing to music that suits you in a venue that you love. Some of the city’s best include Lab11, Tunnel Club, The Rainbow Venues, The Mill, and SUKi10C. But there are plenty more you’ll love too! 

 

Find tickets for clubbing events - here

 

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Let your kiddos expand their minds in the Thinktank Science Garden

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum on Facebook 

A part of the museum, the Science Garden allows your kids to use their imaginations and get excited about science in this interactive park containing around 30 hands-on exhibits. The garden is split up into three sections: Energise, Mobilise, and Mechanise, and will probably be just as fun for you as it is for them. 

  

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Eat ALL the ice cream

La-Pop Edgbaston Village on Facebook  

From Mr Whippy to gourmet ice cream, fancy sorbets to customisable sundaes, ice cream is just the best. Especially when you’re so hot you think you might actually be in hell. So, considering Brum has plenty of ice cream parlours, why not check them all out? Find the best ice cream in town so you know exactly which shop has the tastiest scoop!

 

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With so many fun things to do in Birmingham this summer, there’ll truly never be a dull moment. Whether it's food, music, good times, nature or something else that makes you tick, Brum has got it all and more. 

 

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

 

 

  

 

 

Header: Visit Birmingham on Facebook