Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery reopens after nearly five years - here's everything that's new

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) reopens this week after more than four and a half years. The city's cultural gem closed back in March 2020 for major renovations to its heating, electrics, lifts and roofing and it is now ready to welcome visitors to showcase its first phase of new displays.

On Thursday, October 24 the museum will be opening from 10am until 5pm and you don't need to book tickets. It'll be open from Wednesday to Sunday each week with the same opening hours.

As well as the displays, the Edwardian Tearoom and museum shop will reopen to visitors too. The Victorian Radicals exhibition, which has been at the Gas Hall since February 2024, has been extended to January 5, 2025.

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While old favourites, such as the Lucifer statue by Jacob Epstein, are still in position, other areas have had a total overhaul. Eagle-eyed visitors will notice that a century's worth of grime has been cleaned from the glass ceiling, flooding light down over the space, and work has been done to preserve the tiled floor.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery reopens

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Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-CEOs at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: "This reopening is a big first step in the development of a new museum for the people of Birmingham. The new displays are a celebration of our vibrant city and its rich history.

"It brings us great joy to be able to welcome visitors back into these spaces and we hope people will share in that joy and see themselves reflected in the displays."

Here, we're taking a look at everything that's new about the BMAG that are worth popping along to see. What are your favourite memories of this public space? Let us know in the comments below.

There's a new Made in Birmingham display

A new display in the Industrial Gallery is a look beyond stereotypes to 'the real Birmingham'. Some areas focus on the city's tendency to knock things down and rebuild them while others spark a feeling of nostalgia.

Among the items on display are the giant logo from the HP Sauce factory, which was demolished in 2007, as well as a sign from the Eagle and Tun pub, which was made famous by UB40 in the music video for Red Red Wine.

Then there's an advertising sign for Bird's Custard and some 'every day' artefacts, like a housecoat, a gas fire and a table from the old Bull Ring cafe. The huge model of what Centenary Square might have looked like had it not been abandoned is fascinating too.

The Round Room has had an overhaul

The Round Room is the first area you wander in once you come up the stairs from ground level on Chamberlain Square. It's got a new theme, One Fresh Take, which explores how art can make us see the world differently.

Alongside old favourites like the penguins of Dominicans In Features by Henry Stacy Marks and Lucifer, there's paintings from Cold War Steve, Bridget Riley, Lubaina Himid and David Cox. Look out for the painting of the Black Country and Sandwell Valley by Robert Perry and a canal bridge in Kings Norton by Edward Steel Harper.

There are two new galleries for children and families

Wild City explores nature in Birmingham, with a look at the natural environment today as well as how it was in the past and how it might be in the future. There's a cool little nature themed soft play area, artwork by local children and the official portrait of the Official Rat Catcher to the City Of Birmingham by Arthur Charles Shorthouse.

There's a coffee area too, if you want to let the kids play while you use the buggy park and meet other parents.

There are brilliant new portraits on display

Arpita Shah's exhibition of young South Asian women from Birmingham and the West Midlands explores identities and experiences in the Bridge Gallery while we also get to see the journey of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2020 Curtis Holder as he draws Carlos Acosta, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet.

And artwork by graduates from Birmingham City University's School of Art

The Deviance and Difference exhibition runs until December 8 up on the balcony gallery above the Made in Birmingham display. It features artwork by graduates tutored by internationally acclaimed artist Osman Yousefzada as well as other special pieces from the city's art collection, including works by Barbara Hepworth, Francis Bacon, Donald Rodney, and Hew Locke.

There's a new digital gallery

The Pixel Studio is an activity space and gallery where you can see digital work and have immersive experiences created by Brummie artists and producers. At the moment, Pogus Caesar's The Tiny Spark reimagines the Handsworth Riots of 1985 (featuring Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry).

As well as The Tiny Spark, Excerpt 2020 by Mixed Milk crops selected details from museum objects in Birmingham's collection, exploring their similarities and 'exposing hidden narratives'. It's the work of filmmaker, animator and artist Martin McNally, who is based in Birmingham.

The Tearoom and gift shop are back, but with a twist

Birmingham bakery Shokupan, which makes Japanese-style bread, is creating food in the Edwardian Tearoom. Expect big fat balti sandos with your cuppa tea!

Meanwhile, the work of local artists and makers will be on sale in the museum shop, which has an all new, vibrant look. Look out for jewellery, Christmas decorations, books and more.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is here!

The Natural History Museum in London has loaned its Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition to Birmingham and you can see it in the Waterhall until April 20, 2025. The photographs of fascinating animal behaviour are a thrill for visitors of all ages.