XOYO Birmingham, Luna Springs, Club Colette, Mama Roux’s, and The Night Owl have come together to form the Digbeth Music Venues Alliance. These key clubs, alongside many other businesses in Birmingham’s creative community, face demolition under Network Rail’s Midlands Rail Hub proposals, threatening to destroy the second city’s most vibrant and important centre of music and culture. To raise awareness, the Digbeth Music Venues Alliance is joining up with Save Our Scene to put on the biggest Block Party Digbeth has ever seen. This day of music, community and protest takes over Lower Trinity Street and the clubs on either side on Sunday 11th October from 2pm to 9pm. Tickets to attend the Block Party and show some support start at just £15 at saveourscene.uk.
With a quality electronic music lineup including Silva Bumpa, Fleur Shore, Fat Tony, Low Steppa, Monki, Jess Bays, Illyus & Barrientos, TCTS, Beth, Act On and more, this is more than just a party: this is a call to action for everyone who wants to protect music and essential cultural spaces.
Under the current proposals, a new £1.75 billion rail line would demolish or displace over 50 independent businesses in the Lower Trinity Street and Bordesley Viaduct area of Digbeth, also home to most of Birmingham’s independent music venues. The venues have been offered no relocation support, no guaranteed compensation, and no clear timeline, forcing them to form the Digbeth Music Venues Alliance to make their voices heard. Save Our Scene continues to protest and has already facilitated over 4,000 emails to local MP Shabana Mahmood. However, the next public consultation is not until summer 2027. This is not a protest against improved rail infrastructure. It is a stand against the blinkered demolition of Birmingham’s cultural identity with no plan for what comes next.
Digbeth Music Venues Alliance sums this up: “Digbeth is essential to Birmingham’s creative and cultural identity. The venues on Lower Trinity Street have spent decades building something rare: independent, culturally significant spaces, particularly important to the younger people of this city. These cannot be demolished without something equivalent in place. We are not against progress. We are against progress that treats culture as collateral damage. On 11th October, we fight back, so please come and make some noise. Then email the MP, Shabana Mahmood. Birmingham deserves better than this.”
Founder of Save Our Scene, George Fleming added: “Good development should protect the spaces that make a place what it is. We want Network Rail to go back to the drawing board before the next consultation in Summer 2027, because the alternatives were never assessed with the full facts about what Digbeth is worth.”
The Save Digbeth Block Party highlights what is at risk with a top-class lineup designed to bring people together in a celebration of music and culture.
The SOS Street Stage features the Save Our Scene Fire Truck that memorably arrived at the Birmingham Council offices last week to make it very loud and clear that Digbeth will not roll over. This stage sees one of house music’s hottest names Silva Bumpa step up for a huge headline set. Also lining up is Birmingham’s own party-starter Fleur Shore, with local heroes Tom Shorterz, Faraz, and 22 Collective bringing the big tunes.
At XOYO, inspirational and in-demand selector Fat Tony headlines, alongside renowned house DJ / producer and Simma Black label boss Low Steppa. Monki brings her impeccable ear for the dancefloor, and local legend Paul Morrell adds more quality to a room that would sell out even without the SOS call.
KISS at Club Colette sees one of the UK’s most credible and beloved youth music stations host a killer lineup. Scottish house maestro Illyus Barrientos will get the crowds jumping. Renowned producer, DJ, radio presenter and Superstore Records boss Jess Bays will be repping. KISS presenter and respected DJ/producer TCTS guarantees a set of crowd-pleasers, while Beth will deliver the uplifting house that has seen her blow up across the summer. Plus, rising star Act On will bring future-facing house grooves. This stage will put the ‘party’ into Block Party
The Save Digbeth Block Party gives those who care about music and culture in Birmingham a chance to show what it means to them. They can come to Lower Trinity Street on 11th October, get involved and let everyone know exactly what’s at stake. Save Our Scene and Digbeth Music Venues Alliance also want everyone who attends to email Shabana Mahmood MP to protest using Save Our Scene’s pre-written letter.
The final word comes from Low Steppa, an artist with deep roots in Digbeth. “The Digbeth scene is where the Low Steppa project originated and grew. I can’t imagine Birmingham without it. Those warehouse rooms and railway arches gave local DJs, promoters, and producers somewhere to start, and gave crowds somewhere to belong. Scenes like this take years to build and can disappear in a few planning decisions. As Digbeth is redeveloped, we need to protect the venues, the late-night licences, and the people who make it what it is.”
Save Digbeth Block Party is where the community stands together to protect its culture.