Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) is an arts venue at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham, with a gallery, screenings and performances. For a day trip from Chipping Campden, plan around the specific event or exhibition you want to see, and confirm your route before setting out.
- Location: Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH.
- Gallery pattern: the First Floor Gallery is usually open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am–5pm.
- Tickets: book online or contact the Welcome Desk during its opening hours.
- Access: MAC has step-free access to all its spaces.
What the Midlands Arts Centre offers
Midlands Arts Centre brings arts events and a gallery together at Cannon Hill Park. MAC’s First Floor Gallery is usually open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am–5pm; the venue itself is open daily from 9am until late, though opening times may vary.
MAC is a cashless venue, with card and contactless payments accepted, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. If you’re planning to eat or spend time at the venue, the KILN Café is beside the ground-floor Quiet Room.
How do you get from Chipping Campden to the MAC?
MAC is on Edgbaston Road, opposite Edgbaston Stadium, off the A441 Pershore Road and A38 Bristol Road. The facts here don’t establish a journey time or public-transport itinerary from Chipping Campden, so confirm current routes and timings before you plan the day.
For local orientation before you leave, the guide to Chipping Campden Market Hall and the town centre covers a central landmark.
MAC lists Moseley Village station 1.2 miles away, Five Ways 1.3 miles, University 1.4 miles, Selly Oak 1.5 miles and Birmingham New Street 1.7 miles away. It is also on National Cycle Route 5 and the Rea Valley Cycle Road, with free bicycle racks at both building entrances and behind the Outdoor Terrace.
Badgers Hall has rooms in Chipping Campden if your plans include time in the town as well as Birmingham.
Planning around exhibitions, performances and events
Choose the exhibition or performance you want to attend first, then arrange your visit around its schedule and ticket availability. Tickets can be booked online 24 hours a day, or through the Welcome Desk, which is open Monday to Sunday, 9:30am–5pm, including Bank Holidays, and closed on Christmas Day.
MAC emails e-tickets. An administration fee applies if you ask the Welcome Desk to print tickets. If access arrangements matter to your plans, MAC offers complimentary companion tickets; selected screenings and performances have audio description, and infrared induction loops can be borrowed from the Welcome Desk.
Some performances are BSL-interpreted, so tell the Sales and Events team when booking to arrange seating.
MAC has step-free access throughout. Its main lift serves all floors and can accommodate a wheelchair, mobility scooter or buggy up to 80cm wide; a second lift serves the Bryant meeting rooms and Hexagon Theatre. The ground-floor Quiet Room is beside the KILN Café; ask a staff member for access.
Before you go: opening times can vary, so check the official site before you go.
What can you combine with a visit to MAC?
MAC is at Cannon Hill Park, so you can combine an exhibition or performance with time in the surrounding park. For a driving visit, the adjacent car parks, including Queen’s Ride, Pershore Road and Russell Road, are owned and managed by Birmingham City Council, not MAC.
Queen’s Ride has accessible parking spaces, and Blue Badge holders do not pay parking charges. The Edgbaston Road and Russell Road car-park entrances close at 11:30pm daily; the Pershore Road entrance beside Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park closes at 6pm daily. Large external events can affect travel, and the council car park is likely to be busy during cricket matches.
Returning to Chipping Campden
Before leaving Birmingham, check the route and travel times for your return journey, particularly if your plans include a performance or evening event. MAC’s car-park entrances have different closing times, so check which entrance you’ll use if you’ve parked nearby.
FAQs
Where is Midlands Arts Centre?
MAC is at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH, opposite Edgbaston Stadium on Edgbaston Road.
When is the MAC First Floor Gallery open?
It is usually open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am–5pm. Opening times may vary, so check the official site before you go.
Can you book MAC tickets online?
Yes. Tickets can be booked online 24 hours a day, and MAC emails e-tickets.
How can you plan the airport journey to Chipping Campden?
For planning the journey between Birmingham International Airport and Chipping Campden, use this guide to the airport-to-town route.
Is MAC accessible?
MAC has step-free access to all its spaces, two lifts and complimentary companion tickets. Some screenings and performances also offer audio description, and some performances are BSL-interpreted.