A pre-booked taxi to Birmingham Hippodrome takes you from your door to Southside, without hunting for a car park or checking the last train home. The Hippodrome recommends Inge Street, next to the Back to Backs, as the place to be dropped off. The main entrance is a short walk away on Hurst Street.
The harder part is usually getting home. When the curtain comes down, a full house leaves at once, while Southside’s restaurants and bars are busy at the same time. This guide explains where to be dropped off and collected, and how to time your booking around the show. It also covers planning the evening for groups, older theatregoers and anyone travelling from outside the city.
Taxi to Birmingham Hippodrome at a glance
| What you need to know | Details |
|---|---|
| Theatre address | Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB |
| Recommended drop-off | Inge Street, next to the Back to Backs |
| Second entrance | Thorp Street, which also serves the Patrick Studio |
| Accessible parking | Limited Blue Badge spaces on Hurst Street and Thorp Street |
| Clean Air Zone | The theatre is inside Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone |
| Nearest station | New Street, about five minutes’ walk |
The Hippodrome warns that temporary road closures can affect access around the theatre. If roads are closed on the night, your driver will use the nearest practical stopping point.
Where to be dropped off
Inge Street
Inge Street is the Hippodrome’s recommended drop-off point. It runs beside the National Trust’s Back to Backs, a short walk from the main doors on Hurst Street. For most theatregoers, it’s the easiest place to get out of a taxi without stopping in the busiest part of Southside.
Thorp Street
Thorp Street runs along another side of the theatre and has its own public entrance. It’s the natural choice if you’re seeing a show in the Patrick Studio, or if you’d rather avoid the busiest end of Hurst Street.
Avoid stopping on Hurst Street
Hurst Street is at the heart of Southside, with Chinatown and Birmingham’s Gay Village around it. On show nights, the pavements and road outside the theatre can be busy well before curtain-up. Stopping right outside the doors often holds up traffic, so a short walk from Inge Street or Thorp Street is usually quicker.
Timing your taxi around the show
Getting there before curtain-up
Check the start time on your ticket, then work back from it. Aim to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before the curtain goes up. That leaves time to collect tickets, use the cloakroom or toilets, buy a programme and find your seats without rushing.
Latecomers are admitted at a suitable point in the performance, which can mean waiting outside the auditorium for some time. Booking a taxi with a realistic pickup time is the simplest way to avoid that.
Weekday evening shows
On weekdays, evening performances often start as the rush hour is easing, but traffic into the centre can still be slow. If you’re coming from the suburbs or a nearby town, allow extra time on main roads such as the A38 and the Middleway. We’ll suggest a pickup time when you book.
Matinées
Daytime performances avoid the evening rush. However, Saturday matinées coincide with busy shopping traffic around the Bullring. Allow a little extra time on Saturdays, especially in the weeks before Christmas.
Planning your pickup after the show
Check the running time
Most productions publish an approximate running time, including the interval, on the Hippodrome website. Use it to set a pickup time close to the end of the show, rather than guessing.
Choose a specific meeting point
“Outside the theatre” is the hardest place to find someone when hundreds of people are leaving together. Agree a specific point instead, such as Inge Street or Thorp Street, and share it with everyone in your group.
Allow a few minutes after the curtain
The first ten minutes after the curtain call are the busiest, as the audience spills out onto the street. A pickup time a few minutes after the show ends, rather than right on the finish, is usually easier for everyone.
If the show runs late
Curtain calls, encores and slow cloakroom queues can all push your departure back. Keep your phone switched on, and message your driver if you’re running behind.
Why pre-booked taxis don’t wait on ranks
Birmingham has two kinds of taxi. Hackney carriages, usually black cabs, can pick up passengers from ranks or when flagged down in the street. Private hire vehicles, including pre-booked taxis like ours, must be booked in advance and can’t wait on a rank for passengers.
That’s why it pays to agree your pickup point before the show. Your driver will meet you at the agreed place, rather than joining the queue at the nearest rank.
Theatre trips for groups and special occasions
Groups of up to seven
Many people visit the Hippodrome as a group, whether for a family outing, a birthday or a works night out. One larger vehicle is usually simpler than several cars or taxis. The Mercedes V-Class seats up to seven passengers, so everyone arrives and leaves together.
Couples and small parties
For two or three people, the Mercedes E-Class is a comfortable choice for a night at the theatre. For an anniversary or another special occasion, the Mercedes S-Class adds extra space and comfort.
Dinner before or after
Southside and Chinatown have plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the theatre. If you’re eating before or after the show, tell us where, and we’ll plan the drop-off or pickup around your booking.
If you’d like a fixed price for your theatre trip, you can get a quote online. Add the show time in your booking notes.
Accessibility and older theatregoers
Blue Badge parking and step-free access
The Hippodrome has limited disabled parking on Hurst Street and Thorp Street, and The Arcadian car park nearby has allocated bays. The main entrance has automatic doors, with steps or a ramp up to the foyer, and lifts serve every level of the theatre.
Making the journey easier
For older theatregoers or anyone with limited mobility, being dropped close to an entrance makes a real difference. When you book, tell us if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair, walker or mobility aid, and give us its size so we can confirm it fits. Contact the Hippodrome’s access team before your visit if you need anything arranged inside the theatre.
Coming from outside Birmingham
Nearby towns
Many Hippodrome audiences travel in from across the region. A taxi saves you driving into the city centre, paying for parking and checking whether your car meets the Clean Air Zone rules. We collect from homes across the area, including through our Solihull taxi service, and from Sutton Coldfield, Wolverhampton and Coventry.
Arriving by train
If you’re coming into the city by train, New Street is about five minutes’ walk from the theatre via the station’s Southside exit on Hill Street. For the journey home, a pre-booked taxi from the theatre can save you waiting for a late train. If you’d rather meet a taxi at the station, our guide to getting a taxi from Birmingham New Street explains where pre-booked cars pick up.
Flying in for a show
Some visitors combine a trip to the theatre with a flight into Birmingham. Our Birmingham Airport transfers include flight monitoring, and your driver meets you inside the terminal with a name board.
Late finishes and getting home
Evening shows
Evening performances can finish late, especially longer musicals. If you’re heading back to a town outside the city, you may find the last train has already gone, or that getting home means a long wait on the platform. Our guide to late-night and early-morning taxis in Birmingham explains what to expect after dark.
Weekend nights in Southside
On Friday and Saturday nights, Southside’s bars and clubs stay busy long after the theatre empties. With a pre-booked taxi and an agreed pickup point, you aren’t competing with the late-night crowd for a ride.
Fixed fares
Your fare is fixed when you book, so traffic or a closed road doesn’t change what you pay. Our comparison of fixed-price and metered taxis explains the difference.
Business entertaining and corporate bookings
Companies sometimes use the Hippodrome to entertain clients or reward staff. If you’re organising transport for several guests, our corporate travel service invoices journeys monthly instead of charging for each trip separately.
What to tell us when you book
- The date of the performance and the start time on your ticket
- Your pickup address
- The number of passengers
- Your preferred drop-off point, such as Inge Street or Thorp Street
- An approximate pickup time after the show
- Any mobility aids or accessibility needs
- A mobile number that will be switched on during the evening
We cover journeys across the city through our Birmingham taxi service, and our coverage area page lists every town we serve. If you’re also planning a trip to an exhibition or concert, our guide to taking a taxi to NEC Birmingham covers the other side of the city’s events calendar.
Book your Birmingham Hippodrome taxi
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-price taxis to and from Birmingham Hippodrome from across the Midlands. Tell us your show time, group size and preferred drop-off point, and we’ll plan both journeys around the performance. Book your theatre taxi online, or contact us for group and corporate bookings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do taxis drop off at Birmingham Hippodrome?
The theatre recommends Inge Street, next to the Back to Backs, a short walk from the main entrance on Hurst Street. Thorp Street, by the theatre's second entrance, is another option.
Is there a taxi rank near Birmingham Hippodrome?
Hackney carriages use ranks across the city centre, but pre-booked private hire taxis can't wait on ranks. Agree a pickup point, such as Inge Street, with your driver before the show.
How early should I arrive at the Hippodrome?
Aim to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before the start time on your ticket. Latecomers are admitted at a suitable point in the performance, which can mean a wait.
Can a taxi pick me up after the show?
Yes. Book your pickup in advance, based on the show's running time, and agree a specific meeting point. Allow a few minutes after the curtain for the crowds to clear.
Is Birmingham Hippodrome in the Clean Air Zone?
Yes. The theatre is inside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, so drivers of non-compliant cars pay a daily charge. Taking a taxi means you don't need to check your own car.
How far is the Hippodrome from New Street station?
It's about five minutes' walk. Use the station's Southside exit onto Hill Street, then cross onto Hurst Street.
