The Institute
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78 Digbeth High Street, Birmingham, B5 6D.
Now owned by the Mama group of concert promoters, the venue is one of the oldest venues in the city still showcasing live music. It has formerly been known as the HMV Forum and part of it was called The Barfly.
Digbeth Institute was originally built as a Methodist Congregational Chapel. It was designed by Arthur Harrison and opened on 16 January 1908 as an institutional church attached to Carrs Lane Congregational Church.
In 1955 the church was taken over by Birmingham City Council and changed its name to Digbeth Civic Hall. The venue hosted many big name acts such as Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell as well as local acts from the region. In 2008 it closed its doors for what seemed like the last time. The venue failed to compete with other venues in the city.
It re-opened in 2010 as the HMV Institute but after HMV ran into financial problems in late 2012, it became The Institute. It has a Library venue which has a capacity of around 600. This room is used for smaller bands although the likes of UFO and The Jayhawks have played here.
The main auditorium has an ornate balcony and has capacity for around 1500 people.
