O2 Institute

The O2 Institute is one of Birmingham’s most storied live music venues. Now owned by the Academy Music Group, this former church and civic hall in Digbeth has become a central part of Birmingham’s live music and club scene, hosting regular concerts and raucous club nights.

The Institute opened in 1908 as a Methodist congregational church to serve people living in the surrounding industrial area. In 1955 Birmingham City Council bought the then-Digbeth Institute and turned it into a civic hall, attracting speakers such as Neville Chamberlain and Henry Usborne. By the late 1990s the building became famous for its association with dance music, housing the superclub event Godskitchen, Atomic Jam and other regular dance events.

In recent years the venue has been taken over by HMV then Live Nation, attracting internationally acclaimed acts such as Pink Floyd, The Human League and the Arctic Monkeys. With its three main rooms - the 2,000-capacity main auditorium, its downstairs 600-capacity Institute 2 room and its intimate 250-capacity upstairs Institute3 – the O2 Institute plays host to live acts across the musical spectrum. Compare ticket prices for events at the O2 Institute below.