Utilita Arena Birmingham tickets
The former NIA by the canal opposite Brindleyplace: who sells each show, floor and blocks, parking, bag rules and resale prices.
Updated 6 Nov 2026
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Utilita Arena Birmingham opened on 4 October 1991 as the National Indoor Arena, and plenty of people still call it the NIA; it has since been the Barclaycard Arena and Arena Birmingham, and was renovated in 2014. It stands on King Edwards Road, beside the canal opposite Brindleyplace, with a maximum capacity of 15,800 using permanent and temporary seating. The NEC Group owns it, but it is not the same venue as bp pulse LIVE at the NEC.
AXS is the arena's official ticketing partner, and AXS Official Resale its official resale route. Tours still bring their own sellers: most dates on this list are checked at Ticketmaster UK or Live Nation UK, with promoters such as SJM Concerts, Kilimanjaro Live and AEG Presents. At the official checks on 20 and 21 October, Paul Heaton on Friday 13 November and the first Chase and Status night, Friday 26 March 2027, were sold out at Ticketmaster UK, while the second, on Saturday 27 March, was still on sale.
The 35 upcoming shows are listed below. Resale seats on Hellotickets start from £59 across them (checked 6 Nov 2026).
Next date: The Script on Friday 6 November.
Comedy fills a good part of the calendar, from Ricky Gervais's two November nights and Kevin Bridges on Wednesday 2 December to Romesh Ranganathan on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 April 2027. Teddy Swims follows on Sunday 4 and Monday 5 April, and the list runs on to Deacon Blue on Wednesday 20 October 2027.
Upcoming events and tickets
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Resale prices are the lowest listings seen on Hellotickets at our last check; official status as published by the club, league or promoter, with the date we checked.
Utilita Arena Birmingham guide: floor, blocks and premium level
Seating plan and stands
The layout is a floor, a ring of tiered seating around it and a premium level:
- Arena floor: at ground level, either standing or seated blocks lettered A to Z, depending on the show. The Beat food and bar area is at floor level by Entrance E.
- Blocks 1-12: the tiered seating around the floor, entered from the concourse. On the official map, blocks 1-5 and 8-12 run along the two long sides and blocks 6 and 7 sit at the curved end. Restricted-view seats are marked when you book.
- Premium Level 3: private suites 1-10 and the premium lounges, named Edit, RPM, Remaster, Acoustic, Electric and the Frequency Deck.
Resale listings rarely use the venue's names. Those labelled Floor, Floor Standing, Standing or General Admission are on the arena floor, and seats in the tiers appear as Lower Tier, Upper Tier, Tiered or Seated. Where a listing carries a number, as in Tiered 9 or BK 3, it should match one of blocks 1-12, so check it on the venue's map; comedy nights may also list a Flat Floor area. Our Utilita Arena Birmingham seating plan shows where the blocks sit.
Children under 14 must be with an adult aged 18 or over, and at certain shows the standing area is not suitable for under-14s, so read the age advice for your show before you buy floor tickets for a family.
Getting there
- Rail: Birmingham New Street, Moor Street, Snow Hill and Five Ways stations are all a short walk away.
- Bus: Network West Midlands buses run past the arena frequently.
- Coach: Digbeth Coach Station is a 30-minute walk, and the venue recommends a taxi instead.
- Car: the North, South and West car parks are on site, the West one for pre-booked and hospitality customers only, and booking ahead is advised. The arena is inside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone; the satnav postcode is B1 2AA.
The accessible entrances are C and G, with G reached via Level 9 of the North Car Park, while Entrance D is reached from Level 11 of the South Car Park.
This is a mobile-only venue. Tickets are shown in the app you bought them through, the AXS app or the venue's own, and printing one at the box office costs £2. The venue would rather you brought no bag at all; if you do, it must be no larger than A4 (21 x 30 x 19 cm) with two compartments at most, and rucksacks and oversized bags are refused. Entry includes Evolv screening, and once you leave there is no re-admission, except at the venue's discretion.
Hospitality
Premium Level 3 holds the private suites and the lounges, and the venue also sells premium tickets and has the Sky VIP Lounge and the Utilita Lounge. Its ticket types include VIP alongside standing and seated, so check what a VIP ticket includes for your show before comparing it with a standard seat.
Frequently asked questions
Who is performing in Birmingham in 2026?
At Utilita Arena Birmingham, the rest of 2026 brings The Script, Suede, Ricky Gervais, Paul Heaton, Courteeners, Mariah Carey, Kevin Bridges, Blossoms, UB40, Kasabian and Boy George, among others; the table on this page lists every date with its official status. For 2027, the list runs from Jack Whitehall in January to Deacon Blue in October.
Where is Utilita Arena located in Birmingham?
On King Edwards Road in Birmingham city centre, beside the canal opposite Brindleyplace; the postcode is B1 2AA. New Street, Moor Street, Snow Hill and Five Ways stations are a short walk away, and the North, South and West car parks are on site, inside the city's Clean Air Zone.
Is Utilita Arena Birmingham the same as the NIA?
Yes. It opened on 4 October 1991 as the National Indoor Arena, still often called the NIA, and was later the Barclaycard Arena and Arena Birmingham. The NEC Group owns it, but it is a different venue from bp pulse LIVE at the NEC, so check which one your ticket names.
What size bag can you take into Utilita Arena Birmingham?
Ideally none. If you need one, it must be no larger than A4 (21 x 30 x 19 cm) with no more than two compartments; rucksacks and oversized bags are not allowed. Tickets are mobile-only, shown in the AXS app or the venue's app, and printing one at the box office costs £2.
Where are the accessible entrances at Utilita Arena Birmingham?
Entrances C and G are the accessible entrances, and G is reached via Level 9 of the North Car Park. Entrance D can be reached from Level 11 of the South Car Park. Restricted-view seats are marked when you book, and the floor is standing or seated depending on the show, so check the layout for your event.
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