Stag Weekend or Hen Weekend in Birmingham

Birmingham is a great destination for Stag and Hen Weekends, click our events button to see what's on offer. Alternatively click on a photograph for Hen and Stag events.

Birmingham has a long and varied history, with human settlement in the area reaching back some 1000 years. That figure is somewhat deceptive though, as it was little more than an agricultural settlement until the Industrial Revolution. In the Domesday Book or 1086, Birmingham is recorded as a village worth a mere 20 shillings in total. Its growth into a major industrial center actually started back in the 16th century though, when local ore deposits supported a significant metalworking industry, later becoming a major arms manufacturing center in the 17th century. When the Industrial Revolution came along, Birmingham was well positioned to take a position at the forefront of manufacturing development.

Unlike other major industrial cities however, Birmingham developed primarily small-scale workshops and specialty industries, as opposed to the mills and factories of cities like Manchester. As a result, Birmingham became known for specialty goods like jewelery, sports cars and motorcycles, food and glasswork. To this day, Birmingham's Jewelery Quarter is one of the largest jewelery districts in Europe. To this day, Birmingham continues to boast a large industrial economy, now including high-tech research facilities as well. The predominance of Birmingham's industrial reputation often overshadows its equally impressive cultural history and accomplishments.

From the days of the Triennial Music Festival (1784-1912), which attracted compositions from many notable musicians of the day including Mendelssohn and Dvorák, to the 20th century which found Birmingham the birthplace of bands ranging from The Moody Blues and The Beat to Joan Armatrading and Duran Duran, Birmingham has been a magnet for a wide variety of musical activities. Today, in addition to being a popular stop for popular musicians on tour, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Royal Ballet provide cultural entertainment as well. Birmingham is also home to a number of professional theatre venues, providing a variety of live non-musical entertainment.

In addition to the city's live entertainment, visitors can tour museums and historical centres, as well as Birmingham's extensive canal network. As England's "Second City" and the largest of the eight Core Cities, Birmingham has accommodation and entertainment of every kind imaginable. For travelers looking to enjoy England's urban culture, Birmingham is as much a "must see" destination as London, and every bit as enjoyable thanks especially to recent efforts to redevelop the "concrete jungle" developments of the 50s and 60s. Many ethnic districts offer their unique sights and sounds, from the thriving China Town to the renown "Balti Belt," birthplace to England's native variety of Indian-style cuisine.