10 new immersive experiences that make the West Midlands your next big adventure

From underground caverns to indie food tours and hands-on craft workshops, the West Midlands’ new Signature Experiences offer travellers a deeper, more creative way to explore Birmingham and the Black Country.

    THINK you know Birmingham and the Black Country? Think again.     A new collection of immersive visitor experiences is offering travellers a different way into the West Midlands, swapping the traditional sightseeing checklist for food, craft, heritage, art and stories told by the people who make the region what it is.     Backed by VisitEngland and delivered by the West Midlands Growth Company, the Signature Experiences programme brings together bookable activities designed to connect visitors with the region’s makers, artists, chefs, craftspeople and storytellers. As the programme puts it, the experiences are “designed for curious visitors who want to go beyond the guidebook and get stuck into the creative heart of the region.”   VisitEngland’s Patricia Yates has also praised the West Midlands’ “culinary, creative and cultural experiences”, encouraging travellers to “come now, stay longer and explore more.”       From Pre-Raphaelite art and stained glass to Peaky Blinders, underground canals and Birmingham’s independent food scene, these experiences are firmly highlghting a more hands-on West Midlands.

From Masterpieces to Making: Pre-Raphaelite Arts & Crafts Experience

A collaboration between Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and The Tufting Spot, this experience begins with a private, expert-led tour of the museum’s Pre-Raphaelite collection, including rarely viewed artworks. Afterwards, visitors head to a nearby studio for a hands-on tufting workshop, creating their own textile piece inspired by the movement’s vivid colours and romantic motifs. It’s a chance to move from looking at art to making something of your own.

A Taste of Birmingham: Guided Food Tour

This four-hour tour by Living For The Weekend explores six independent venues between the Jewellery Quarter and Colmore. Alongside tastings, guests hear stories about the people, places and influences behind Birmingham’s food culture. With six food tastings, drinks at four stops and a surprise snack, it’s a flavour-packed introduction to the city’s indie food scene.  

Peaky Blinders Filming Location Tour

At the Black Country Living Museum, fans can step behind the camera on an official filming-location tour. Led by a costumed guide, the experience explores sets used throughout the series and shares behind-the-scenes stories, bringing the Shelby family’s world into sharper focus.  

Tasting the JQ: Sensory Walk & Dining Experience

Created by artist and sensory designer Kaye Winwood, this three-hour experience invites visitors to explore the Jewellery Quarter through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. The sensory walk ends with a five-course tasting menu inspired by everything encountered along the way at the sublime GULP. Limited to 10 guests, it offers an intimate way to experience one of Birmingham’s most characterful neighbourhoods.

 

Art of Light: Immersive Stained Glass Experience

In Stourbridge’s historic Glass Quarter, master craftswoman Rosa Ferris offers a full-day introduction to stained glass at Rosewindow Studios. Visitors learn traditional techniques, create their own colourful piece and connect with the area’s long glassmaking heritage. It’s a blend of craft, history and hands-on creativity.  

Graffiti Art Experience: Digbeth

Led by graffiti artist David “Panda” Brown — whose work has appeared in Beetlejuice II and Ready Player One — this hands-on workshop introduces visitors to lettering, design and spray-painting techniques. The session ends with participants creating their own canvas, meaning they leave with more than photographs of Digbeth’s street art: they’ve made some themselves.

 

Black Heritage Walks: Birmingham

Launching soon, these guided walks from the Black Heritage Walks Network   explore Birmingham’s Black history, culture and heritage. They add another perspective to the programme’s focus on the people and stories shaping the region.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Dudley Canal & Caverns

This 75-minute narrowboat tour travels 70ft underground through Dudley’s historic canal tunnels, revealing geological formations shaped over millions of years. Visitors also step off the boat to explore the Singing Cavern — a new addition to the experience — offering an unusual way to encounter the Black Country’s industrial and geological story.

Vineyard Wine, Walk & Talk: Blabers Hall Wine Estate

This relaxed evening experience begins with a guided walk through the vines before moving into an introduction to the winemaking process and tastings of the Blabers Hall estate’s still wines. Free to attend for over-18s, it’s a gentle way to discover the region’s growing wine scene.

Collage & Mark-Making in the Jewellery Quarter

Led by textile artist Amber Lily, this creative workshop starts with a guided walk exploring the colours, patterns and textures of the Jewellery Quarter. Back in the studio, participants turn their observations into a mixed-media collage using paints, handmade papers, stitching and other materials. The session ends at Txikiteo with vegetarian pinchos and a drink.   More experiences are on the way, including an extended geological tour at Dudley Canal & Caverns and further heritage and creative activities across the region. Come curious, leave inspired — that’s the West Midlands promise.

How to Book

All Signature Experiences can be booked through the official Visit Birmingham hub: Visit Birmingham – Signature Experiences This page lists every experience, availability, booking links and new launches as they go live.