Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre and registered charity which stages more than 400 performances a year. Around half a million people visit annually for musicals, ballet, opera, dance, drama, comedy and pantomime – the largest regular attendance of any single theatre in the UK.

Musicals account for just under half of all performances, followed by pantomimes (19%), ballet (16%) and opera (3%). Other performances include drama, dance and comedy. The Hippodrome has partnerships with Birmingham Royal Ballet and DanceXchange. It is also the only English venue which presents all of the Welsh National Opera’s repertoire. The theatre houses the 200-seat Patrick Centre for the Performing Arts in addition to extensive in-house conference facilities and a restaurant.

During 2013/14, the Hippodrome staged 404 performances attended by just under 626,000 patrons. Around 17% of tickets are sold at a discounted rate for education, audience development and access. Each year, approximately 14,000 tickets are sold to schools, in addition to nearly 1,500 free tickets for teachers.

The Birmingham Hippodrome is a significant local employer with full-time, part-time and casual paid posts across most of its teams, which encompass administration, technical, customer service and hospitality, marketing, box office, creative learning, fundraising and finance. It has over 100 permanent staff members.

The theatre also offers work experience placements, internships and creative apprenticeships. There is, additionally, a volunteer programme. The Hippodrome provides full induction, support, training and learning and development for every volunteer role. Opportunities include working in the auditorium or at outdoor events.

The Hippodrome has a growing programme of creative learning, community and outdoor performances, under the banner of ‘Hippodrome Creative’. Among the Hippodrome’s projects are the Young Carers’ summer school; the Matthew Bourne ‘Curtain Raiser’ with local colleges; workshops with the charities Sense and Age Concern; and the theatre’s weekly drama classes with special needs experts, ‘Open Theatre’.

The Hippodrome’s free Summer in Southside weekend features the best in outdoor performance. On behalf of Birmingham Arts Partnership, Hippodrome Creative produced 4 Squares Weekender to celebrate the opening of the new Library of Birmingham in 2013; and Birmingham Weekender (September 2015) to celebrate the opening of New Street Station and Grand Central, and the city’s Rugby World Cup games.

All catering and hospitality services are owned and managed in-house. The Hippodrome operates its own Circle Restaurant in addition to foyer bars and a Deli Bar.

The Hippodrome’s customer service team won a Gold Standard Badge for World Class Service in 2013. And in 2014 the theatre made the Top 100 of the Sunday Times’ ‘Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For in the UK’.