Utilita Arena Concerts October 2026: Westlife, Duran Duran & D-Block Europe (Stage Times, Parking, Getting Home)

Westlife play Birmingham three times in 2026, at Utilita Arena on Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, on their 25: The Anniversary World Tour. On all three nights, doors open at 6pm, the show starts at 7pm with support act Ana Sky, and the venue’s curfew is 11pm.

The same week, two more big names play the arena. Duran Duran play on Tuesday 20 October, and D-Block Europe follow on Thursday 22 October with French Montana. This guide gives you the times for each show, what else is happening nearby on the same nights, and how to plan the journey there and back.

October 2026 shows at a glance

These times come from the venue and the promoters. Some resale sites show different door times, so go by the times on your own ticket. Headliner set times are usually confirmed closer to the date.

Westlife Birmingham 2026: what to expect

Same schedule on all three nights

All three Westlife shows follow the same running order. Doors open at 6pm, Ana Sky opens the show at 7pm, and Westlife come on later in the evening. Because the venue has an 11pm curfew, the show will be over by then, and most of the crowd will leave at the same moment.

How the three nights differ

The schedule is identical, but the city around the arena isn’t. On Friday, fans arrive while the end of the working week is still clearing from the roads, so traffic into the centre can be slow until after 6.30pm. Saturday brings the busiest Broad Street of the week, with the arena crowd mixing with the usual weekend nightlife. Sunday is calmer on the roads, but trains run less often late in the evening, which matters if you’re relying on rail to get home.

If you’re still choosing a night, that difference is worth weighing. Saturday suits a full night out in the city. Sunday suits anyone who wants an easier drive in, as long as they’ve sorted out the journey home.

Planning your arrival

For a 7pm start, arriving between 6pm and 6.30pm gives you time to get through the entrance, find your seat and buy a drink before Ana Sky comes on. If you only want to see Westlife, you can arrive a little later. However, entry queues build quickly in the half hour before the headliner, so don’t leave it too late.

Check the arena’s bag policy and entry rules before you travel. Arriving with an item the venue doesn’t allow can mean a long detour back to the car or the cloakroom.

Coming from Ireland

Westlife’s fanbase stretches well beyond the Midlands, and many fans travel over from Ireland for the Birmingham shows. If you’re flying into Birmingham Airport, our Birmingham Airport transfers include flight monitoring and meet-and-greet. Your chauffeur adjusts to any delay and takes you straight to your hotel or the arena.

Flying in on the day of the show leaves little margin if your flight is late. Arriving the day before, or on a morning flight, gives you more breathing room. Our guide to where to stay in Birmingham covers hotels near Broad Street and Brindleyplace, many of them within walking distance of the arena.

Duran Duran: Tuesday 20 October

Duran Duran return to the city where they formed, on their first full UK arena tour in three years. Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm, with Pigeon as special guests.

Because it’s a Tuesday, many fans will be travelling straight from work, just as the evening rush hour peaks. If you’re driving into the centre, allow extra time on the main routes. Our guide to rush hour in Birmingham shows which roads are slowest.

A weeknight show also means an early start the next morning for most people. Planning a quick, reliable route home matters more than it would at the weekend.

D-Block Europe: Thursday 22 October

D-Block Europe bring their Worldwide Wave tour to the arena, with French Montana in support. Doors open at 6.30pm and the curfew is 11pm.

Age rules for standing tickets

Standing tickets are for ages 14 and over. If you’re bringing teenagers, check the age rules and any conditions on the ticket before you travel, including whether younger fans must be with an adult.

Collecting teenagers after the show

Many parents drop off and collect for this show. A few simple steps help:

• Agree a specific meeting point a few minutes’ walk from the arena, rather than “outside the entrance”.
• Make sure phones are fully charged before the show.
• Set a fallback plan in case phones die or signal is patchy in the crowd.
• Allow for the crowd taking 15 to 20 minutes to clear after the curfew.

Symphony Hall, a short walk away on Broad Street, also has a show that evening, so the area around Centenary Square will be busier than usual.

What else is on the same nights

Several other events add to the crowds and traffic on concert nights:

• Friday 16 October: Hue and Cry with Roachford at Symphony Hall.
• Saturday 17 October: Birmingham City v QPR at St Andrew’s at 3pm, followed by The Shamrocks at Symphony Hall in the evening. The Motorhome and Caravan Show is also running at the NEC.
• Sunday 18 October: The Legends in Vegas at Symphony Hall.
• Thursday 22 October: Alison Moyet at Symphony Hall.

Saturday 17 October needs the most planning. Football traffic leaving St Andrew’s in the late afternoon overlaps with arena crowds heading into the centre. Our St Andrew’s match-day guide covers the Blues side of the day. For everything else on in the city this month, see our Birmingham events guide for October 2026.

Getting there: parking, trains and drop-off

Utilita Arena is on King Edwards Road, near Brindleyplace and Broad Street. Most people arrive in one of three ways:

• By train: New Street is the main station, about 15 minutes’ walk away. Five Ways is another option.
• By car: nearby car parks fill quickly on concert nights, so book ahead where you can.
• By drop-off: being dropped off avoids parking altogether, but you’ll need to agree a pickup point for the end of the show.

The arena is inside Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone, so check whether your car is compliant before you drive in. Our Birmingham Clean Air Zone guide explains how to check.

For full details on stations, car parks and drop-off points, see our guide to getting to Utilita Arena Birmingham.

Travelling from elsewhere in the Midlands

Plenty of fans travel in from across the region. From Coventry, Wolverhampton or Solihull, driving into the centre means joining concert traffic and paying for parking. A train means checking the last service home. For groups, a single pre-booked car is often simpler than either. We provide a chauffeur service in Coventry, as well as pickups from Wolverhampton and Solihull.

Getting home after the show

With an 11pm curfew, thousands of people leave the arena within a few minutes of each other. A little planning makes the end of the night much easier:

1. Check your last train before the show. On Sunday 18 October in particular, late services run less often.
2. Agree a pickup point. Choose a specific spot a few minutes’ walk from the arena, not the main entrance, where traffic is heaviest.
3. Keep your phone charged. It makes finding whoever is collecting you much easier.
4. Wait 15 to 20 minutes if you can. Traffic and taxi queues ease quickly once the first wave of the crowd has gone.

A pre-booked car takes the guesswork out of the end of the evening. National Executive Transfers’ event chauffeur service collects you at an agreed time and place, so you’re not queuing at a taxi rank. If you’d like a pickup for one of these shows, you can get a quote online.

Making a night of it

Many fans plan dinner before the show. Brindleyplace and Broad Street have plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the arena. With doors at 6pm, an early table at around 5pm leaves time to eat without rushing. Our guides to the best restaurants in Birmingham and private dining rooms in Birmingham suggest places to book for a group or a special occasion.

For groups of up to seven, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class keeps everyone together. If you’re planning dinner, the show and drinks afterwards, hourly chauffeur hire keeps the car available all evening. Our comparison of chauffeur vs self-drive for Birmingham events explains the trade-offs.

Hosting clients at a show

Some businesses use these concerts to entertain clients or reward staff. A corporate chauffeur account gives you fixed rates, multiple authorised bookers and consolidated monthly VAT invoicing, which makes several pickups on the same night easier to manage.

Book your concert transport

National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers to and from Utilita Arena Birmingham across the Midlands, in Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us your show, your group size and when you’d like to be collected, and we’ll plan the pickup around the curfew and the crowds. Get a quote and book online.