This May, The Alexandra, Birmingham turns 125 – and to mark the beginning of a celebratory year, the theatre will open its doors for a free Open Day on Saturday 2 May, 11am – 3pm. Building on the success of their most popular Open Day to date in 2025, visitors will once again have the opportunity to explore behind the scenes of this historic venue on a ‘dark day’ when the theatre is usually closed to the public.
There’s plenty of fun in store for attendees of all ages, including craft activities with Artist & Designer Garry Jones, technical demonstrations in flying, lighting and sound, and face painting. There will also be the opportunity for history lovers to uncover the theatres rich archive ahead of a big birthday year with the venue’s historian.
Exclusive ticket offers will be available to access at the Box Office and partner of The Alex, Holiday Inn, are running a ‘kids eat free*’ offer for attendees who might want to refuel and relax after exploring the theatre – details of which will be available from the venue, on the day.
Venue Historian, Julia Kirby, said:
“Our wonderful theatre is 125 years old this May and I’m really excited to welcome visitors to our Open Day to take a close look at programmes and memorabilia from our archives, some of it nearly 100 years old. Backstage tours will offer visitors the chance to find out more about the history of The Alex as well as finding out how we work our theatre magic!”
Previous Open Day attendees said:
“It was exciting to be on the stage and even more exciting to be backstage to understand what goes on behind the scenes. All the staff were wonderful and made a real effort to engage with us on the day.”
“Our family really enjoyed the backstage tour led by Julia who was brilliant. It was fascinating learning not only the history, but also the current day to day running of the theatre.”
Please note that due to the nature of the historic building, access to parts of the venue involves many stairs.
*Terms and conditions apply