The birthplace of world famous artists such as Black Sabbath, UB40, The Editors, Led Zeppelin. Home to the City Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and inventive music festivals such as Mostly Jazz, Supersonic and the UK’s only major Film and Music festival... Birmingham is music to your ears!
Heavy Metal
Bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin and Napalm Death all have their roots in Birmingham and the Black Country.
Black Sabbath
Formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass guitar) and Bill Ward (drums), Black Sabbath have made music history.
Their first albums 'Black Sabbath' (1970) and 'Paranoid' (1970) made them a success worldwide. Other heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica cited Black Sabbath as their inspiration, a band who's legacy has influenced the music industry across the globe.
Home of Metal
From 19 June to 25 September, the Home of Metal exhibition celebrates the region's heavy metal legacy!
Reggae
Birmingham is the original home of UB40 who were formed in 1978. Fusing Caribbean reggae rhythms with British rock and pop vibes they re-invented modern reggae music.
With other reggae bands such as Steele Pulse, Peter Spence and Apache Indian all born and bred Birmingham, the city has significantly influenced the history of UK reggae.
Jazz, Blues, Funk & Soul
Thanks to the efforts of Birmingham Jazz, the jazz scene in the city has grown significantly in recent years. Whilst you may not associate the city with jazz music, Birmingham is a rising star in the jazz music scene and well known underground.
Birmingham Jazz presents contemporary jazz in Birmingham all year-round and promotes up to 110 events every year.
Established in the late 1970s and lead by passionate artistic director Tony Dudley-Evans for almost 20 years, it supports cutting edge New York acts such as saxophonist Dave Leibman as well as local young new artists who show their talent at the weekly Rush Hour Blues Friday evening session at Symphony Hall or at one of the various Jazz venues throughout the city.
If you love jazz, don't miss the Mostly Jazz Festival & International Jazz Festival
Alternative
With acts like the Editors and The Streets, Birmingham is still rocking the music scene.
With hits like ‘Munich’ and ‘Blood’, Birmingham based indie rock band Editors experienced great success in the charts across Europe.
The band was initially formed in 2002 by Tom Smith (vocals & guitar), Chris Urbanowiscz (guitar), Russel Leetch (bass) and Ed Lay (drums) who met university.
Classic & Opera
With its world class acoustics and stunning 2,262 seat auditorium, Symphony Hall hosts some of the great artists in classical music. It’s home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, which will celebrate its centenary in 2020. Since its first concert conducted by Sir Edward Elgar in November 1920, the CBSO has grown into a 90-piece ensemble with a world reputation. As Birmingham’s city orchestra, the CBSO performs more than 80 concerts every year and is worldwide demanded to appear on stages across the globe.
Home grown Birmingham Opera Company is not what you expect from opera. Creating and staging opera in unpredictable and unusual places close to the streets of the city, they are committed to sharing great art with great people. It’s a different way of making opera.
Welsh National Opera performs its repertoire at Birmingham’s Hippodrome theatre. As the Company's Midlands base, the theatre welcomes them three times a year in the spring, summer and autumn. WNO are Europe's busiest touring opera company and the largest provider of touring opera in the UK.