James Orchestral Tour – Birmingham Symphony Hall – 5 May 2023

Birmingham Symphony Hall, Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EA

About the Venue

The stunning 2,262 seater Birmingham Symphony Hall was opened in 1991 and specifically designed to be flexible to accommodate orchestral shows, rock concerts, solo comedy shows and conferences. That flexibility was built in through innovations such as the acoustic canopy above the stage which can be raised or lowered to create the best sound depending on the number of performers. Specially padded panels, hidden behind the side seating, pull out on tracks to create the dry acoustic needed for amplified shows and an acoustic curtain covers the stage end of the hall.

Symphony Hall is also notable for its reverberation chamber, a cavernous space behind the stage end of the building which increases the hall’s volume by 50% when the giant doors are open, creating reverberation of cathedral-like proportions.

The auditorium is cavernous and spread across 4 levels, with extra ‘ledges’ adding to the layers of seating. There is seating behind the stage and I am not sure whether this is being used for the James gig, as the orchestra setup will restrict the view of the band.

The Seating Plan below can be downloaded as a pdf in hi-res here – https://bmusic.co.uk/your-visit/symphony-hall/seating-plan

Getting There

Parking

The most convenient parking facilities for Symphony Hall are at Q-Park Brindleyplace B1 2JF, click here for more information.

Another one close by is Paradise Circus Multi-Storey, B1 2NB

Also, near to Paradise Circus is the 2-storey underground Paradise Car Park, B3 1DE

Birmingham City Centre is a Clean Air Zone. Please see Birmingham City Council website here for details and to check whether you need to pay for your vehicle to enter the city centre.

By Bus

The Hall is easily accessible by bus. Plan your journey with Network West Midlands or call the West Midlands Journey Planner hotline on 0871 200 22 33 (charges apply).

By Cycle

There are lots of bike racks in Centenary Square. For information on cycle routes in the city, visit sustrans.org.uk or birmingham.gov.uk/cycling

By Tram

The Library tram stop is just by the Symphony Hall front entrance on Centenary Square. Plan your journey with West Midlands Metro.

By Train

Birmingham New Street and Snow Hill stations are within a 15 minute walk of Symphony Hall. Moor Street and Five Ways are slightly further away but still within walking distance. Train times can be checked at the National Rail website. There are taxi ranks at each station.

Eat and Drink

The Symphony Hall itself has an in-house eatery overlooking Centenary Square, open from 11-4 with breakfast and brunch food, with several veggie and vegan options and also a pre-concert menu of hot food. B:Eats is run by B:Music, the music charity that is responsible for the Symphony Hall and a worthwhile cause to support.

Close to the venue is a canalside area there is a shopping and dining area called Brindley Place with a good choice of restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets, including Costa, Zizzi, Wagamama, Subway, Pret, Las Iguanas, Gourmet Burger Kitchen etc.