Birmingham Big Weekend

Your weekend, day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   

   Go-karting

   From about 14:00 · 2 hours

   Arrival day. Travel in and check in, then go-karting in the afternoon: a briefing, practice laps, qualifying and a scored final, with the times on a board. Trousers and trainers, and every driver must be sober, so the drinking waits until afterwards.

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   The closest indoor track is on Fazeley Street in Digbeth, about a mile from the centre, with a second in Halesowen, around nine miles out. Allow 75 minutes on site for 30 minutes of racing. A grand prix format with practice, five heats and a final for the top eight takes one and a half to three hours, with prizes for the top three. Drivers must be at least 125cm tall and fancy dress is refused. For something faster, an outdoor endurance-style race runs on a former airfield circuit outside the city.

   You get a briefing, race suit, helmet and gloves, then a session that usually runs about an hour: practice laps, a qualifying run and a scored final. Timing is automatic and the results go on a board, which is where the arguments start.

   Indoor circuits run all year; outdoor ones are longer, faster and at the mercy of the weather. Both put a podium and a bottle of something at the end.

   Wear trousers rather than shorts, and trainers. There are height, weight and footwear limits at most tracks, and you have to be sober.

   

   Club entry, VIP & booths

   From about 23:00 · 3 hours

   Reserved club entry for the group, with names on the list so the door is not a gamble. Broad Street doors are used to large groups but still enforce dress codes: no sportswear and no matching shirts.

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   Most of Birmingham's late venues sit on or just off Broad Street, with a second cluster around Temple Street in the centre. Guest-list entry usually has to be used before 11pm, and a couple of bars close the list at 10pm, so plan dinner to finish in time. Smart casual is the standard door code. Table and booth packages cap at around 20 people, and the reserved area is a base rather than a seat for everyone, so a big group books two. The busiest Broad Street bars trade until 3am at weekends.

   Standard entry gets the group past the queue on a guest list, which matters because large male groups are the first ones a door turns away. A booth adds a reserved table, a set number of bottles with mixers and a host who looks after the table.

   Booths are sold on a minimum spend rather than a flat fee at many clubs, so the bottles you order count towards it. Ask what the minimum is and what it includes before you agree to anything.

   Dress code is enforced hard on stag groups. No sportswear, no trainers at some doors, no matching shirts, and nobody visibly drunk gets in regardless of the booking.

2. 2

   Day 2

   

   Paintballing

   From about 11:00 · 1 hour

   Paintball outside the city in the morning: overalls, a mask and a marker issued, then team games run by marshals. Hits sting. Old clothes and boots, nothing white, and a change of clothes for afterwards. Allow for the travel out and back.

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   Woodland paintball sites are outside the city, so allow for travel each way. The usual half-day runs about three hours across several themed zones, with 100 paintballs each and more for sale on the day. It is generally weekends only, with winter starts at 9am or noon and summer starts at 10am or 2pm. One site will not let cars park with fewer than four people inside, so share cars or book a minibus. Wear boots with ankle support. A close-quarters version in a semi-indoor maze runs just outside the centre.

   A half-day is usually five or six game zones, played in teams with a marshal calling each game: attack and defend, capture the flag, and a last-man-standing finish. You are issued overalls, a mask, a marker and a set number of paintballs, with more available on the day.

   Hits sting and leave bruises for a few days. That is well understood but worth saying to anyone who has not played.

   Wear old clothes under the overalls, a hoodie helps, and boots or old trainers. Nothing white. Bring a change of clothes.

3. 3

   Day 3

   

   Group dinner & restaurant

   From about 19:30 · 2 hours

   The booked group dinner, with one table for the whole group. Confirm final numbers and any dietary needs with the restaurant ahead of the day. If the group is heading out afterwards, dress for the bars rather than the restaurant.

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   Group dining in Birmingham works best close to where the night goes next: the canalside around Brindleyplace and Broad Street, or John Bright Street, a few minutes' walk from New Street station. Reserved tables are standard, and larger groups are usually asked to pre-order. Sharing formats such as pizza with a cider tasting board keep a big table simple and quick. If the night is on Broad Street, eat on that side of the centre and walk on rather than crossing town.

   A restaurant taking a large group will usually want a set menu, a deposit and final numbers a few days ahead. That is normal and it works in your favour: the food comes out together and the bill is per head rather than an hour of arithmetic.

   Tell them about allergies and anyone who does not eat meat when you confirm the numbers, not on the night.

   Dress code is the restaurant's. If you are heading to a club afterwards, dress for the club, because the restaurant is the softer door.