Birmingham Hippodrome doesn’t have its own car park, but four public car parks are within a few minutes’ walk. The closest are The Arcadian, the Chinatown car park and the Edgbaston Street car park at the Bullring, and all three are around two or three minutes’ walk from the theatre. For drop-offs, the theatre recommends Inge Street. If you’re coming by train, New Street station is only about five minutes away on foot.
This guide covers each car park and its prices, where to drop off and pick up, and how to walk from the stations. It also explains what to do if you’d rather not drive at all.
Birmingham Hippodrome parking at a glance
| Car park | Walk to the theatre | Price listed by the Hippodrome | Postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Arcadian | About 3 minutes | £12.50 for 8 hours, £18 for 12 hours | B5 4TD |
| Chinatown (Wrottesley Street) | About 2 minutes | £14 for up to 6 hours | B5 4RT |
| Edgbaston Street (Bullring) | About 3 minutes | £7.50 flat rate from 5pm to 2am | B5 4RQ |
| Mailbox (Q-Park) | About 8 minutes | 30% off before 6pm with code BIHPPDRM30 | B1 1RD |
Prices come from the Hippodrome’s own directions page and can change without notice. Check the operator’s website before you travel, especially for weekend and holiday performances.
Which car park suits your performance?
Evening shows
For an evening show, the Edgbaston Street car park is usually the best value. Its flat evening rate covers you from 5pm to 2am, so a late finish or a drink afterwards doesn’t cost any more. It’s open 24 hours and is about three minutes from the theatre.
The Mailbox is also worth considering in the evening. Q-Park offers a reduced rate there between 6pm and 2am. It’s a longer walk, at about eight minutes, but it suits anyone having dinner around the canals or Broad Street before the show.
Matinées and daytime visits
For daytime performances, the Hippodrome’s discount code for the Mailbox applies when you park before 6pm. Pre-book using the code BIHPPDRM30 to get 30% off. Alternatively, The Arcadian’s eight-hour rate covers a matinée plus lunch in Chinatown.
When the show sells out
On busy nights, the car parks closest to the theatre fill first. The Hippodrome itself warns that temporary road closures and high demand can make city-centre parking difficult. If your performance is sold out, or it’s a Friday or Saturday night, pre-book a space where the operator allows it. Otherwise, allow extra time to find a space.
Where to drop off at Birmingham Hippodrome
The Hippodrome recommends Inge Street for dropping off friends or family. It runs next to the National Trust’s Back to Backs, a short walk from the main entrance on Hurst Street.
The theatre’s access statement also mentions Thorp Street, where a separate public entrance leads to the Patrick Studio and the main foyers. That’s useful if you’re seeing a show in the studio or want to avoid the busier end of Hurst Street.
Before you set off, agree which street you’re using with whoever is driving you. Southside gets busy on performance evenings, and stopping in the wrong place causes delays for everyone.
Picking up after the show
Collections are harder than drop-offs, because the whole audience leaves at once. A few habits help:
- Check the running time before you arrive. Most shows publish it, so your driver can arrive close to the curtain call rather than waiting for an hour.
- Agree a pickup street in advance. Inge Street or Thorp Street is far easier to find than “outside the theatre”.
- Keep your phone switched on. If the show overruns or the foyer is slow to clear, you can tell your driver straight away.
- Give it ten minutes. The first ten minutes after the curtain are usually the busiest on the surrounding streets.
Getting to the Hippodrome by train
From New Street station
New Street is the easiest station to use. From the concourse, follow signs for the Southside Exit, which brings you out on Hill Street and has both steps and a lift. Cross the road, turn left towards the lower end of Hill Street, and cross at the Smallbrook Queensway junction. From there, continue onto Hurst Street, where the theatre is on your right. The walk is about 0.2 miles, or roughly five minutes.
From Moor Street station
Moor Street is about half a mile away, around a ten-minute walk. Leave the station and head past the Bullring towards Smallbrook Queensway, then cross onto Hurst Street. Chiltern Railways trains arrive at Moor Street, so it’s often the more convenient station if you’re coming from the direction of Solihull, Warwick or London Marylebone.
By bus
The Hippodrome lists bus routes 6, 61, 63, 87, X1 and X2 as serving the theatre. Check National Express West Midlands for current times, particularly for late evening journeys home.
Driving: Clean Air Zone and directions
The Hippodrome sits inside Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone, which covers the whole area inside the A4540 Middleway ring road. Vehicles that don’t meet the emission standards pay a daily charge. Check your car before you travel. Our Birmingham Clean Air Zone guide explains who has to pay and how to check.
From the M6, the theatre’s directions use the A38(M) into the city and then the A38 tunnels towards Bromsgrove Street, which leads to The Arcadian. Weekday evening performances can coincide with the end of the rush hour. Our guide to rush hour in Birmingham shows which routes slow down most.
Latecomers are admitted at a suitable point in the show, and that can mean a long wait before you’re seated. Leave enough time for traffic and parking, so you’re in your seat before curtain-up.
Blue Badge parking and accessible arrival
The Hippodrome has limited disabled parking on Hurst Street and Thorp Street. The Arcadian also has allocated bays with easy access to street level, about 150 yards from the entrance.
The main entrance on Hurst Street has automatic doors, then either six steps or a ramp up to the foyer. Lifts serve every level of the theatre. There’s an Access Assistance Point just inside the main entrance, where you can collect pre-booked wheelchairs and other access items.
Disabled theatregoers who need a companion can book a free companion ticket, through the theatre’s 2-for-1 scheme. Contact the Hippodrome’s access team before your visit if you need anything arranged in advance.
Skipping the parking altogether
If you’re coming from outside the city, or you’re not keen on driving into the centre, a pre-booked car avoids the car park, the Clean Air Zone check and the walk back after the show. Your driver drops you at Inge Street or Thorp Street and collects you from an agreed point afterwards.
National Executive Transfers can arrange your theatre transport with a pickup timed around the curtain call. If you’re weighing driving against a chauffeur for a night out, our comparison of chauffeur vs self-drive for Birmingham events walks through the trade-offs.
Making an evening of it
Many theatregoers combine the show with dinner. Chinatown and the Southside restaurants are next to the theatre. Our guides to the best restaurants in Birmingham and private dining rooms in Birmingham have more options for a special occasion.
For evenings with several stops, such as dinner, the show and drinks afterwards, hourly chauffeur hire keeps a car available all evening. Groups of up to seven can travel together in a Mercedes-Benz V-Class, which is often simpler than two taxis or two parking tickets.
If you’re planning a visit to other city venues, our guide to getting to Utilita Arena covers parking and drop-off for Birmingham’s main concert arena.
Book your Hippodrome transport
National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers to and from Birmingham Hippodrome from anywhere in the Midlands, in Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us your show, the performance time and your group size, and we’ll plan the drop-off and collection around the curtain. Get a quote and book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The theatre relies on nearby public car parks, including The Arcadian, the Chinatown car park and the Edgbaston Street car park, all within about three minutes' walk.
The Edgbaston Street car park at the Bullring charges a flat £7.50 from 5pm to 2am, according to the Hippodrome. The Mailbox Q-Park also has a reduced evening rate but is a longer walk. Prices can change, so check before you travel.
The theatre recommends Inge Street, next to the Back to Backs, a short walk from the main entrance on Hurst Street. Thorp Street, by the theatre's second entrance, is another option.
It's about 0.2 miles, or roughly a five-minute walk. Use the Southside Exit onto Hill Street, then cross Smallbrook Queensway onto Hurst Street.
Yes, but spaces are limited. There's disabled parking on Hurst Street and Thorp Street, and The Arcadian car park has allocated bays about 150 yards from the entrance.
Yes. The theatre is inside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, so drivers of non-compliant vehicles pay a daily charge. Check your vehicle before you drive into the city centre.
The main entrance is on Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB. For parking, use the car park's own postcode, such as B5 4TD for The Arcadian.
