You might still feel like hibernating somewhat due to the cold weather, but there are plenty of activities and events to get involved in this March – all worth creeping out of your little cave for! From huge holidays, like St Patrick’s Day and Mothering Sunday, to seeing the city aglow with unique experiences like the Kabaddi World Cup and Crufts. The fun doesn’t stop with these amazing things to do this March in Birmingham.
1. Watch the ‘world’s craziest sport’ world cup
Often called one of the world’s craziest, strangest, and most ancient sports, the Kabaddi World Cup (KWC) comes to the West Midlands this month (March 17 and 23) This is the first time the contact sport’s championships have been hosted outside of Asia. Birmingham’s Nechells Wellbeing Centre is one of four venues hosting the KWC. The others are Convetry’s Centre AT7, WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, and Walsall Campus Sports Centre. You can learn more about kabaddi here.
2. Fall in love with ‘Bridgerton’ all over again by candlelight
Dearest Reader, Birmingham Cathedral is hosting the event of the season this March. Surrounded by the soft glow of candlelight, listen to your favourite melodies from the hit Netflix series ‘Bridgerton’ reimagined by a string ensemble. Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings has many dates choose from throughout spring too. There’s no strict dress code, but you’re encouraged to wear your finest attire! To see all Candlelight Concerts in Birmingham this March head here.
3. Cheer England to glory throughout Six Nations
The Six Nations is in full swing with the last few matches being played this month. So it goes without saying you’ll want to make sure you have a prime position to see every bit of the action. There are some amazing showings of the final epic matches this March (Which ends March 15). To not miss a scrum, kick or tackle, check out the best places to watch the Six Nations in Birmingham.
4. Swing into this Adventure Playbarn
This all-weather adventure playground, Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn in Staffordshire, is less than an hour from Birmingham. Designed to “challenge, entertain and inspire”, it is full of swings, slides, towers, bridges, walkways and tunnels to clamber over and explore. At the centre of the Adventure Playbarn, sits an awe-inspiring mock Royal Oak tree which kids can climb. Elsewhere, there are pedal go-karts, a climbing wall, a racing zipline, ‘sensory dens’, see-saws and more.
5. Watch a wicked ‘Wizard of Oz’ drone light show
Watch Dorothy and her friends travel across the magical land of Oz like you’ve never seen before. Using hundreds of illuminated drones in the night sky, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Drone Light Show’ is the newest show created by Celestial (creators of drone light shows across the globe). From the playful Munchkins to the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, this display of light and sound brings the iconic characters to life on March 1.
6. Support some independent, women-owned businesses
We should definitely be doing more of this if we can, but March 8 marks International Women’s Day so why not show some love and solidarity by purchasing items from businesses run by women? To name a few businesses run by women from Birmingham and the surrounding area that you can support, there’s Watkin and Berry, Hard as Nails and V by Laura Vann, to name a few. Discover some of Birmingham’s independent, women-led businesses here.
7. Treat your mum to an afternoon tea this Mother’s Day
Of all the events on this list, this is the one you really don’t want to forget for heaven’s sake! Put March 30 in your diary because it’s Mother’s Day. It’s your chance to treat your dear mum or mother figure to something special – you can’t go wrong with an afternoon tea, so why not book one this March or order one online to come straight to her door?
8. Go bananas with a bingo rave
The rave phenomenon, Bongo’s Bingo is ready for more magic and mayhem in Birmingham. The immersive live show that injects bingo with new life for a younger generation, however, features rave rounds, dance-offs, and crazy prizes; including, giant pink unicorns, Henry Hoovers, and mobility scooters. It’s back with a run of winter shows at The Forum – including a St. Patrick’s Day special.
9. Celebrate World Book Day
The global celebration of reading and books, World Book Day is taking place on March 6. You could celebrate by buying a new book or visiting these literary spots in Birmingham. But why not use this month to visit the cute ‘book town’ Hay-on-Wye?
Self-described as the ‘World’s First Book Town’, it is legendary in the literary world for its large number of secondhand bookshops – around 20, more than one bookshop for every 100 residents. Among them is the legendary Richard Booth’s Bookshop; Hay’s newest secondhand bookshop, Green Ink Booksellers; Murder and Mayhem, which specialises in detective fiction; and the wittily-titled Gay on Wye for LGBTQ+ literature.
10. Party in an abandoned fried chicken shop
The team behind Mama Roux’s have a brand new party spot in Digbeth for us. We had a little taste of the back-to-basics Club Colette last year, but it’s officially open this month. Putting the DJ, intimacy, and sound quality front and centre, the new Lower Trinity Street club is split across two rooms, with a main space featuring a unique tiered design for elevated dancing, wrapped around the DJ booth. Meanwhile, Room 2 is being called the smallest club in the city, homed inside of a converted, abandoned fried chicken shop.
11. Catch some free jazz on a Friday
So, we recently discovered that Symphony Hall holds FREE jazz shows on fortnightly Fridays at 5pm on the Jennifer Blackwell stage. On March 28, head down to catch the legendary Birmingham Jazz Orchestra showcase the very best jazz musicians this city has to offer. As part of their UK tour, vocalist Helena Debono and pianist/arranger Charlie Bates will join forces with the troupe to play music from their new album ‘A Thousand Nights’. You can learn more here.
12. Tuck into an authentic Greek food in the West Midlands
Named after the legendary Greek sea monster Scylla, a new Greek fine dining experience promises a sophisticated approach to Mediterranean cooking. Cylla will blend authentic Greek cuisine with contemporary gastronomy when it opens at the former All Bar One on Newhall Street. It will start serving in mid-March for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, while the restaurant’s mixologists will craft Mediterranean-inspired cocktails that complement the menu.
13. Catch all the cutest (and most talented) pups in town
The world’s greatest dog show takes over the NEC in Birmingham for Crufts 2024 from March 6 to 9. This four-day action-packed schedule celebrating our four-legged friends is expected to more than 20,000 dogs. Showcasing 200 diverse breeds in fun competitions like agility, heelwork music, flyball and obedience, you can still purchase tickets to this year’s event – starting from £24 for a day, and from £23 to ‘Best in Show’ at bp pulse LIVE, get your tickets here. Or you can just stay at home and watch it on Channel 4…