Former city club set to be reborn as live music venue
Old Hummingbird and Carling Academy to reopen this summer
AHUGE new 3,500 capacity music venue is to open in the city centre in the building which previously hosted iconic acts including Nirvana and The Clash. Forum Birmingham is expected to open in the summer, with claims it will host world-class DJs and other live acts.
The former Carling Academy in Dale End has lain dormant for around a decade.
The building initially launched as The Ballroom in the 1960s before evolving into the Top Rank Suite which hosted acts like Bob Marley & The Wailers.
In the 1980s it became The Hummingbird and played host to Nirvana, Sonic Youth and The Beastie Boys before it closed its doors in 1994.
The venue later had a spell as Carling Academy Birmingham in the 2000s with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran taking to the stage, and club nights including Ramshackle and Subculture. Now,
following a renovation project, Global Venues is set to re-open the venue ahead of lockdown easing in late summer.
Billy Chauhan, of Global Venues, said: “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. “We’re also extremely passionate about preserving Birmingham’s musical heritage and our work culminates with Forum Birmingham.”
The huge renovation project has included the restoration of the original woven wooden sprung dance floor and the addition of new polished concrete floors, a steel mezzanine and a new sound system.
A number of national promoters have already been confirmed and are working on their first events, with full line-ups expected to be revealed at the end of the month.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), welcomed the news of the venue’s reopening.
He said: “The club scene is a huge part of British culture and heritage spanning decades. We need to preserve it so that future generations can share the experience and pursue careers and opportunities within this sector for years to come.
“At the moment our clubs are fighting to survive during the pandemic so it’s really inspirational that Forum Birmingham will reopen saving a cultural institution in the city and giving the local industry a much needed shot of confidence.”
Despite the new club, the building and wider Dale End area is due for massive redevelopment as part of Hammerson’s Martineau Galleries scheme, revealed last year.