10 Best Things To Do In Birmingham In December [2026]

Five options at Bullring & Grand Central will sell you something hot or sweet without a table booking.

That counts for a lot on a December trip built around younger children or a tight connection at New Street:

Blank Street

Location: Level 1, Unit 35 Grand Central, Birmingham, B2 4BF.

Best for: A coffee with a laptop, or a takeaway cup before a train.

Espresso, cold brew, matcha and fresh-baked treats make up the counter at Blank Street on Level 1 of Grand Central.

The format leans towards takeaway, with collection and delivery running alongside walk-in orders.

The coffee stop also offers free WiFi throughout, wheelchair access, and assistance dogs are welcome. Vegetarian and vegan choices are both available too.

EL&N

Location: 146-148 New St, Birmingham, B2 4NY.

Best for: A later sit-down once much of the city centre has shut.

EL&N serves all-day dishes including shakshuka and French toast, with pastries, bagels and speciality coffee available to take away.

The London café brand runs its Birmingham site on New Street.

Of the five treat stops here, this is the one still serving late into the evening, which is a useful thing to know after an afternoon at one of the museums.

Millie's Cookies

Location: Middle level, Bullring, Central Street, Birmingham, B5 4BE.

Best for: Personalised orders and something to share on the way round.

Millie's Cookies bakes on-site each day and will ice a giant cookie to order, which is useful when a birthday lands in the middle of the school holidays.

Signature loaded bakes, cookie cupcakes and milkshakes fill out the rest of the counter.

The shop also takes reservations (worth using in the fortnight before Christmas!).

💡 Student and Blue Light discounts both apply.

Mr Pretzels

Location: Lower level, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BU.

Best for: Keeping younger children going for another hour of shopping.

Soft pretzels baked on site are the whole offer at Mr Pretzels, running from sweet cinnamon sugar through to savoury Parmesan cheese.

Its pretzels contain natural ingredients and no preservatives, and the range is vegetarian.

As a kiosk, this one works as something warm carried between shops. Do note that its Sunday hours are shorter, from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Haute Dolci

Location: Bullring, Lower Level, Birmingham, B5 4BA.

Best for: Office parties, corporate catering and large group orders.


Anyone buying dessert for a group will find Haute Dolci set up for it.

The takeaway counter covers desserts (including vegetarian, halal, dairy-free and gluten-free options) alongside hot and cold drinks, and the same kitchen handles catering for office parties and larger gatherings.

Digital menus are built to work with screen readers, and assistance animals are welcome at the counter.

➡️ Millie's Cookies, Mr Pretzels and Haute Dolci all close earlier on Sundays. Check the hours the day before a weekend trip.

Location: Ground Level, Bullring, Birmingham.

Best for: School-holiday afternoons and end-of-year team outings.

Anyone with an afternoon to fill in the school holidays can get a couple of hours out of Treetop Golf, which runs two 18-hole indoor courses at ground level in Bullring.

The courses are named Tropical Trail and Ancient Explorer, and both are laid out with turns and obstacles that make the scoring less predictable than a standard round.

That evens things out in a mixed group, where experience counts for less than it would on a real course.

Booking is not required at Treetop Golf, which means a group can turn up on a quiet weekday between Christmas and New Year and still get on a course.

Food and drink are handled inside the venue by Pizza Cabana, The Thirsty Toucan and Jungle Buzz Café.

Nobody has to leave the building between the golf and the food. Closing runs to 10 PM most nights and 11 PM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, which puts an after-work team round within reach.

Free WiFi and wheelchair access are available, with vegan and vegetarian choices included.

➡️ The venue works on turn-up, with no reservation system behind it.

Location: Unit 25A, Grand Central Shopping Centre, Birmingham.

Best for: Work teams, birthdays and celebrations.

Teams looking for an end-of-year outing can book Sandbox VR, a Grand Central venue that tracks the whole body and drops a group into one shared game world.

Zombie games, futuristic worlds and intergalactic missions all appear on the list, and the format is built around a group moving about a room together.

A robotic bartender, which the brand calls the first of its type in the UK, mixes themed cocktails and mocktails for players coming out of a session.

The venue does not do food itself, although private events and celebrations can have catering laid on if it is organised beforehand.

Walk-ins are welcome, and slots can also be booked ahead, and booking is the safer route in the run-up to Christmas.

➡️ Sandbox VR is in Grand Central, not the main Bullring malls. Allow a few extra minutes to walk across from St Martin's Square.

Four options at Bullring & Grand Central work for a proper warm meal in the middle of winter, from a short pre-train stop to a full group dinner that runs past midnight:

Frizzenti

Location: 68A East Mews, Birmingham, B2 4XJ.

Best for: Twenty minutes to fill before a train home.

Frizzenti pours sparkling wines on tap, with chilled Prosecco and a classic cocktail list alongside Italian tapas at the same counter.

The bar is in Grand Central, a short walk from the New Street platforms, and the brand is ideal as a stylish pause from shopping or a pre-train pick-me-up.

Coffee and pastries are served for anyone who is not drinking too.

Haidilao Hot Pot

Location: Lower level, Bullring, St Martin's Square, Birmingham, B5 4BA.

Best for: Long group dinners that run late.

Broths chosen to taste, a sauce station and raw ingredients cooked at the table make dinner interesting at Haidilao Hot Pot on the lower level.

Haidilao also has one of those robot servers that you see on social media, and their team are nice enough to offer complimentary snacks to waiting guests.

The cooking happens in front of you, which stretches a meal out and suits a group with nowhere else to be.

The kitchen runs to midnight most nights and 1 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Highchairs and baby changing are available, along with step-free access and an accessible toilet.

Vietnamese Street Kitchen

Location: St Martins Square, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BW.

Best for: A late dinner after a day of Christmas shopping, and a group meal that covers halal, vegan and vegetarian diets.

Vietnamese Street Kitchen cooks from four generations of family recipes, part of a story that began 40 years ago, and serves them in St Martin's Square.

A dedicated halal menu uses beef and chicken from Halal-certified suppliers, with vegan and vegetarian dishes alongside it, so one booking works for a mixed group of friends, family or colleagues.

The kitchen stays open until 10:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, which leaves plenty of time for a sit-down dinner once the December shopping is done.

Bill's Restaurant and Bar

Location: Middle level, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BE.

Best for: An early family meal before the centre fills up.

Families who want to eat before the shops get busy can start at Bill's, an all-day restaurant on the middle level running brunch plates, stacked burgers, truffle chicken and spicy duck curry across one menu.

Weekday mornings open earliest; Sunday opening follows the centre's shorter trading hours, so check before an early start.

Daily specials and sharing plates run alongside the main menu.

Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are marked throughout, and there are children's options for younger diners.

Student, Blue Light and NHS discounts are all available, and you can book a table ahead of time.

If you’re worrying about what kind of presents you’re going to surprise your loved ones with, you can have a look through these six shops at Bullring:

Selfridges & Co

Location: Upper level, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BP.

Best for: Buying Christmas presents for multiple people.

Selfridges covers luxury fashion, beauty, gourmet food and homeware over several floors of the disc-clad building on the Upper level.

Beauty Concierge appointments and personal shopping can both be booked in advance, which is the practical answer when several people on the list are still unresolved in mid-December.

Gift services, personalisation, tailoring and alterations are offered on site, with click and collect and home delivery as alternatives to carrying it all.

Hotel Chocolat

Location: Middle level, Bullring, St Martin's Square, Birmingham, B5 4BU.

Best for: Secret Santa, teacher presents and anything that needs to be a safe bet.

Hotel Chocolat in St Martin's Square sells chocolate and gift ranges from the British brand, which states a commitment to authentic chocolate made with high-grade ingredients.

Product sampling and Love Match events both run in store, and tasting first is the obvious advantage when you are choosing for somebody else.

Gift services, click and collect and a loyalty programme are also available.

Jo Malone London

Location: Upper level, Grand Central, Birmingham, B2 4BF.

Best for: Surprising your loved ones on Christmas with their next favourite fragrance.

Jo Malone London sells perfume, candles and home fragrance, with engraving offered as part of its personalisation service.

An in-store appointment can be booked for anyone who wants help choosing a scent, and the brand also runs a wedding fragrance service for couples planning ahead.

The Entertainer

Location: Lower level, West Mall, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BE.

Best for: Christmas toy shopping, and a free play break for younger children.

Parents working through a Christmas list should head to The Entertainer, where rows of toys, games and must-have characters fill the lower level of Bullring's West Mall, with staff on hand to help find the right gift.

Younger children can take a break in the free soft play area, and the interactive Peppa Pig house, and demos and competitions run in store, so the shopping trip becomes part of the day out.

Doors open at 9 AM on Saturdays, so families can make an early start on the list and still have time left over to play. 

Sephora

Location: Upper Level, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BU.

Best for: Beauty gifts.

Sephora stocks makeup, fragrance, skincare, haircare and body products, including brands the retailer describes as exclusive to its shops.

Expert advisors work the shop floor, and an in-store appointment can be booked ahead for a special occasion.

Foot Locker

Location: Lower level, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4DA.

Best for: Buying trainers for someone whose size you already know.

Trainers and streetwear from Nike, adidas and Champion fill Foot Locker on the Lower level, along with limited-edition releases and sneaker drops.

This branch runs click and collect, gift services, home delivery and in-store appointments.

Location: 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS.

Best for: An hour indoors between other things, on a cold afternoon.

Ikon Gallery shows contemporary art across two floors of a Grade II listed Victorian former board school in Brindleyplace, and entry costs nothing.

The programme takes in installation, sculpture, film, painting, photography and sound, and the exhibitions turn over several times a year, meaning a return visit rarely repeats the last one.

The galleries close for a stretch between exhibitions while the next one is installed, and those dates go up on the gallery's website in advance.

Opening runs 11 AM to 5 PM, Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, so ordinary Mondays are the one day to avoid in December (although do check out their website before you commit your plans around it).

Location: Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2ND.

Best for: A free, warm hour with something worth looking at.

The Library of Birmingham opens its public floors to anyone without a ticket or a library card, and being indoors and warm is half the appeal in December.

Level 9 holds the Shakespeare Memorial Room, an 1882 interior of carved timber and plasterwork with flower and bird motifs worked through it, designed by the Birmingham architect John Henry Chamberlain.

A panoramic viewing gallery near the top of the building looks out over the city, and outdoor garden terraces run off Levels 3 and 7.

The terraces open 11 AM to 4:45 PM, Monday to Saturday, and close outside those hours for maintenance.

They also shut in bad weather, which in December is worth a phone call before you build an afternoon around them.

Sunset lands just before 4 PM, so the last half hour is dark anyway and the indoor floors are the better bet.

Location: Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DH.

Best for: A full family day at no cost.

Families with a day to fill can get several hours out of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, where general admission is free, and nothing needs booking.

Wild City is the newest of the open galleries and was built with families in mind, joining the Round Room, the Industrial Gallery, the Bridge Gallery, the Birmingham History Galleries, the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery and the Pre-Raphaelite Galleries.

Several floors remain shut while the phased reopening continues, among them the Level 2 art galleries and the Level 3 ancient history galleries.

That keeps the visit shorter than the building's size suggests, which is no bad thing with younger children in tow.

Do note that some events and exhibitions carry a charge even though general admission does not.

Location: Gas Street, off Broad Street, Birmingham.

Best for: A short walk in the last of the daylight.

Two waterways meet at Gas Street Basin, the BCN Main Line and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, on Gas Street off Broad Street.

The Worcester Bar runs down the middle of the water, a narrow strip built to stop two rival canal companies sharing a supply, and narrowboats are now moored along both sides of it.

A footbridge built to a 19th-century Horseley Ironworks design crosses to Gas Street, and a listed set of steps and wall brings you down from street level.

From the basin the towpath carries on beneath Broad Street through a short tunnel and comes out at Old Turn Junction.

Birmingham New Street is around five minutes away on foot, which makes this an easy thing to bolt onto a shopping trip.

The towpath is a free public route between the Mailbox and Brindleyplace, with no ticket needed.

💡 Daylight goes by mid-afternoon in December. Setting off before 2 PM gets you to the basin while you can still see it properly.

Location: Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HP.

Best for: A five-minute stop and a photograph on the way past.

A metal bench etched with the faces and signatures of Black Sabbath's four founding members stands on Broad Street, above the canal bridge that also carries the band's name.

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward formed the band in Birmingham in 1968, and the bench has been in place since 2019.

Flowers, notes and flags are regularly left here by visitors, and more have arrived since Ozzy Osbourne's death in 2025.

It is a short stop, and it fits naturally onto the end of a walk from the basin.

The bench is free to visit at any time, outdoors on a public pavement near the Brass House.

➡️ The bench is at pavement level on Broad Street, not down on the towpath. Anyone walking the canal needs to come up to the road to find it.

A December trip into Birmingham usually has a shopping list attached to it, and Bullring & Grand Central keeps the shopping and the indoor activities within a few minutes of each other.

You can plan your visit to Bullring here to see how you can visit us by car, taxi, train, bus, or by bike. 

If you’re visiting the shopping centre with a car, you can also register for our smart parking solution that eliminates tickets and reduces queues, so you can focus on enjoying your visit to Bullring.