Things To Do in Digbeth, Birmingham – Street Art, Pubs & Bars

Digbeth is a great place to visit in Birmingham if you enjoy pubs, bars or street art. Most roads in the area have more colour than the regular street, with a high concentration of street art towards the legendary Custard Factory.

Digbeth from above at sunrise.

The area primarily comprises old repurposed industrial buildings. They use many of these for the creative or entertainment sectors. The railway viaduct runs through the area too. They constructed this with blue brick and very photogenic and a great canvas for street art.

Things to see & do in Digbeth Birmingham

Annatomix Fox on the canal

Digbeth is usually a thriving area with a great selection of things to do in the evenings, including many bars. My favourite thing to do is to enjoy a walk, seeing the street art and visiting a few bars in the area.

Funfair

Digbeth Funfair

Digbeth also has a funfair that is open every day of the week. This has about 25 rides with options to suit different tastes. Digbeth Funfair is home to a Ferris wheel, some high or fast rides, and also something for younger visitors.

See the Street Art

Street Art Digbeth

The area of Digbeth is a great place for a walk around because of the top quality street art and graffiti on display. Most roads in the area have more colour than the regular street, with a high concentration of street art towards the legendary Custard Factory. It is also known as the Creative Quarter for good reason.

Under the Custard Factory Viaduct

Many companies locally have graffiti style murals. This includes pubs and entertainment venues. Zumhof Biergarten is one such place. They serve a fantastic range of beers from the continent and locally.

Nortons Digbeth

Nortons is an Irish Bar in Digbeth and their garden is fantastic for street art murals. Street art is unofficial, and independent visual art created in public locations for public visibility. They associate street art with the terms “independent art”, “post-graffiti”, “neo-graffiti”, and guerrilla art.

Bird & Eyes on the Wall

A suggested circular walk in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, taking in some more prominent areas for street art. Note that the area when this joins the canal is great for seeing the city skyline.

Big Birmingham Bake, a fun night out

The Big Birmingham Bake is a fun night out where teams compete in a baking competition. They supply all the equipment and ingredients and instruction. This is a splendid night out with a difference. They also have a bar serving a nice selection of drinks.

Night out with a difference in Birmingham

The concept is simple: pairs compete to cook the tastiest and most aesthetic versions of the day’s cakes. The climax of being a winner announced at the end. Our night was doughnuts and discovered we could make endless flavours and designs. It delighted me to win.

The venue has many cooking workstations for each of the teams. These all have a hob, cooker, mixer and ingredients already weighed out ready to compete. Emma, the host and her helpers, introduced the concept. The host then provided help throughout the process and made the whole even feel fun.

Explore The Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham Canal

Banana Warehouse

A fun thing to do is to walk along the Digbeth branch canal and see what’s about. The Digbeth Branch Canal towpath is also a hotbed of street art and tagging. This runs from Bordesley Junction to The Warwick Bar stop lock and Banana Warehouse.

Canal Reflection on the Digbeth Branch

The Birmingham canals don’t stop here, but the great graffiti art does. The walking onwards in either direction is great.

Beer Central Festival

Beer Central Festival

Beer Central was a new and enjoyable beer festival in the Digbeth area, set in an old warehouse. There are loads of producers of beer and other drinks at the annual festival. This includes some local breweries serving fantastic beer.

digbeth beer festival

There were well over 100 drinks to try on my last visit to the beer festival. On entry you get a complimentary testing glass to try the drinks. Overall, Beer Central is a fantastic thing to do for a night out in Digbeth. To find out when the next beer festival is, see their website.

Golf Fang

Ghetto golf

Another of the popular things to do in Digbeth is to visit is Golf Fang. They are an indoor crazy golf course with 18 holes. The venue has amazing decor throughout and is rather colourful with lots of bright lights. Golf Fang also has a bar serving drinks while you play. You can purchase various fun packages on their website.

Roxy BallRoom

Roxy Ballroom

The colourful Roxy Ballroom in Digbeth is a great venue for “Social Gaming”. Visiting is one of many fun things to do in the area. There are options for games to enjoy at Roxy Ballroom, including beer-pong, curling, pool, shuffleboard, and karaoke. Overall, Roxy Ballroomis a great place for a fun night out.

Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in Digbeth Birmingham

The local area has many options for pubs, bars and restaurants, including some that are pet-friendly. These tend to be fun places to visit and make for a great night out.

The Old Crown, the oldest pub in Birmingham

The Old Crown Birmingham's Oldest

In the heart of the arty area of Digbeth is The Old Crown, a community pub. The Old Crown calls the oldest non-religious building in the city home. The building dates back to 1368. Despite its age, the pub is all very stylish inside.

The Old Crown Digbeth

To top that, they have an enormous beer garden to house visitors, some with covered seating. They have a great selection of draught beers, including Heineken and Camden Hells. Overall, this is a very nice pub, easy to find on the main road.

Stag at The Custard Factory

Stag Digbeth

In The Custard Factory, in Digbeth, is Stag. This is a great place to visit for a drink, coffee or even a haircut. Stag started off as a barbershop and has developed to become a barber, coffee shop and cocktail bar. The venue is nice and has an outside seating area in an urban setting. On draught are some interesting pints including Camden Pale, Stag also has a great selection of cocktails.

Zumhof Biergarten

In the heart of Digbeth, near to the Custard Factory, is Zumhof Biergarten. Zumhof Biergarten is a Bavarian and Czech inspired bar that serves some great beers. They also sell great food in the former warehouse they call home.

Zumhof Biergarten Birmingham Pilsner Urquell & Erdinger

Guests can enjoy beers, including their signature Pilsner Urquell from The Czech Republic. They have some locally brewed options and German favourites like Erdinger or Löwenbräu.

The Anchor

The Anchor Digbeth

The Anchor is a free house pub that is rather a nice place to visit with the dog. They are renowned for serving great beer, including many real ale options. They have a comfortable venue with both inside and outside seating. In my experience, they are very dog friendly. The clientele seemed rather friendly on my visit, as were the staff. The Anchor beer menu is pretty comprehensive, from nice refreshing lagers like Estrella Damm to some interesting craft beer options.

Rico Libre a Tapas Restaurant

Ricos Libre in Digbeth

On Gibb Street near the Greenhouse is Rico Libre, a Spanish-style tapas restaurant who serve great food and booze. They currently serve food in the new alfresco dining area, which is a rather pleasant touch. They have options for both Spanish wines and beers, including Estrella Galicia.

For food, you can choose a variety of tapas options to share. They served these in batches to enhance the dining experience. They also have specials, where I found some delicious pigs cheeks, a fantastic dish that is apparently the chef’s speciality. Overall, this is a great place to visit for a meal and a great option for date night.

Robertos’s a Nice Bar

Roberto's Digbeth

If you like strong or Belgian beers, then Roberto’s on Gibb Street in Digbeth is a great bar to visit. They have many options for Belgian beers, including the Bruxelles Blanche and a draught Belgian Pilsner. This is a great place to visit, especially in the summer, to enjoy their seating on the street.

Nortons Digbeth an Irish Pub

Nortons Digbeth Dog Friendly

Nortons is an Irish bar with a great selection of beers, including Guinness, Kirin and Camden Hells. They have a great vibe inside and in there outside seating area. Nortons often have Irish music playing. They also serve food, including pizza. Over all a great venue for an afternoon beer or an evening out.

Digbeth & Street Art in Birmingham Photos

Some photos of the Digbeth area of Birmingham including so fantastic examples for the street art of the area.

Custard Factory Fountains

The iconic greenhouse building that is part of the Custard Factory on Gibb Street.

Digbeth Branch Canal Views

The Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham canal network is a lovely walk and also has some splendid views of the city’s skyline.

Digbeth NHS Art

Some unique decorative features of the area, some artwork is fantastic, other get very political.

Digbeth - the Courtyards

The Courtyard of the Custard Factory on Gibb Street, home to a few entertainment venues and the lovely Stag bar.

Gibb Street Digbeth

The water feature on Gibb Street, a fantastic place to sit out and also admire the street art in the vicinity. There are a few bars and eateries overlooking this area and is a social hub of the area.

Birds Custard Powder
Birds Custard Powder Branding used as a sign towards The Custard Factory
Bordesley Junction
Graffiti on the walls near to Bordesley Junction on the canal network.
Floodgate Street Under The Viaduct Arch
Floodgate Street Under The Railway Viaduct Arch, a hotbed of street art is located near here.
Floodgate Street
Floodgate Street looking towards the railway arches.
Footbridge Towards Fazeley Street
Canal Footbridge Towards Fazeley Street, Part of the Circular Walk has some interesting graffiti.
Interesting Door on Digbeth Walk
Interesting Door on Floodgate Street with a street art mural as its decor.
Murial
A more sinister looking piece of street art.
space odyssey Floodgate Street Digbeth
Space odyssey and wolf man murals on Floodgate Street.
Suki10c
Suki10c is a nightclub on Bordesley Street whose entire building is a canvas.
Brewdog CO2
A wall on Gibb Street dedicated to BrewDog CO2 neutral beer.
Floodgate Street Art
Under the archway on Floodgate Street.
Gibb Street
Gibb Street, the heart of the Birmingham Creative Quarter.
Interesting Footpath
Interestingly decorated footpath across the river.
John F Kennedy
The John F Kennedy mural on the main road.
More art near the Custard Factory
There is nice art in every nook and cranny under the railway arches.
River Rea Bridge Under Railway Viaduct
River Rea Bridge Under The Railway Viaduct is one of my favourite places for a dog walk in Birmingham. There’s often something happening here and the street art evolves over time.
River Rea
The banks of the River Rea have some interesting graffiti best seen from the bridge.
Viaduct Arch
A collage of street art under the railway arches in Digbeth near the Custard Factory.