Forum Birmingham Announces 60th Anniversary Program Details

Forum Birmingham, one of the UK’s iconic and influential music spaces, celebrates 60 years of rich history in 2025, with a new programme of events.

January 2025 will kick off 16 weeks of special shows hosted by promoters, brands, DJs, and parties, including Fac 51 – The Hacienda, HE.SHE.THEY, DNB Allstars, LWE, Live Nation, and Sonny Fodera, among others.

A press release from the Forum’s operator Global Venues states the shows will be “mixing up the sounds of the past, present and future with cutting-edge new concepts and high-spec tech,” chief among which is the addition of a d&b audiotechnik Soundscape sound system at select events.

According to the press release, “d&b Soundscape is the world’s most sophisticated sound system. It has been built with over 40 years of pioneering experience and is all about pinpoint accuracy, immersive sound and boundary-pushing invention so has to be heard to be believed.”

Global Venues’ Billy Chauhan commented, “I’m extremely passionate about preserving Birmingham’s rich musical heritage and our work culminates with Forum Birmingham. It was my old stomping ground and helped shape my musical journey so to celebrate its 60 Year anniversary with this series of events is very special.”

The Beat Of The Brum: Birmingham Is Buzzing

Forum Birmingham has been at the heart of the city’s musical landscape for six decades. The multi-faceted 3,500 capacity venue became Forum in 2021, and underwent massive renovations. Aside from the main room, it includes Space 54, an intimate stand-alone club with its own entrance and a “chunky d&b audio sound system.”

The building has previously been known as The Ballroom, the Top Rank Suite, Hummingbird and Carling, and O2 Academy, and has welcomed stars from across the musical spectrum from The Clash to The Beastie Boys, Bob Marley & The Wailers to Nirvana, Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran.

“We’re witnessing the systematic dismantling of the UK night-time economy so the success of Forum Birmingham should be celebrated as they approach their 60 Year milestone. Our industry is not just about entertainment; it’s about identity, community, and the economy so we must support the intrepid operators who keep these amazing venues open for future generations,” commented Michael Kill, vice president, International Nightlife Association (INA).

Check out Pollstar’s special feature on Birmingham here.

More on the upcoming program to celebrate Forum Birmingham’s 60th anniversary from Global Venues below:

“The first Phase of announcements include Fac 51 – The Hacienda, the seminal acid house party that spearheaded the underground scene of the late 80s and 90s from its famous home in Manchester. Also visiting is Sonny Fodera, the Aussie house master who has more than 6.5M monthly Spotify listeners and countless chart-topping hits to his name like ‘Somedays’ and One Night’.

“Meanwhile, HE.SHE.THEY has quickly become one of the underground’s most unique and vibrant gatherings. It is focused on old-school values of inclusivity, diversity and welcoming everyone of all genders, all sexualities, and all races but with a fresh, forward-thinking soundtrack and has hosted everywhere from Glastonbury to Coachella. There will also be plenty of jump-up rhythms from the party-starting DNB Allstars, bass-heavy beats from the Weird Science crew, bassline madness from the celebrated Cru2 and festival-sized line-ups from the influential Live Nation.

“2025 at Forum Birmingham will be an unmissable celebration of all the things that have helped make the venue so storied and celebrated over the last 60 years.”

Subscribe to Pollstar HERE