Birmingham
🏟️ Address: National Exhibition Centre (NEC), North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1NT, United Kingdom Directions in Google Maps
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is located near Solihull, on the eastern outskirts of Birmingham. It can be reached easily by road or rail.
Below you can find general information on travel and parking for National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Individual events may have additional/restricted services available, and so we recommend clicking through to the event and viewing the Travel & Parking tab for event-specific information.
Travelling to the NEC is straightforward, aided by the venue's proximity to several major motorways. The NEC can be reached via the M6, M40, and M42, as well as the A41, A45, and A452.
Signs for the NEC are present from miles away, and once you approach the venue itself there are usually more localised signs referencing specific events, exhibitions, or shows; the car park you will be directed to depends on what you are seeing. There is a free shuttle bus service from all car parks, but they are also within a short walking distance of the buildings.
There is a private hire taxi pick-up area at the NEC, situated next to the Moxy Hotel, just outside the Piazza. Taxis from Birmingham city centre can reach the NEC in as little as 20 minutes.
The nearest coach station to the NEC is Birmingham International Airport. Both National Express and Megabus services regularly stop at the airport, making it a convenient stop for travellers from all over the UK and even beyond. It is only a 1.8 km (22 min) walk to the NEC, but it is easier to use the airport's free "Air-Link Rail" monorail track, which makes the 90 second journey between the sites once every 2 minutes.
If you are travelling via public bus , the NEC can be reached most conveniently via Birmingham itself and Coventry. Again, it is easiest to alight at Birmingham Airport (or the adjacent train station, Birmingham International) and make your way to the NEC from there. The following are some of the main routes available:
Although Birmingham is the second biggest city in England after London, its prices for food and accommodation are not nearly as high. While there are a few high-end luxury hotels in the city centre and other inner-city neighbourhoods, there are plenty of budget hotels too. As the city is becoming more and more popular with tourists, there’s a number of hostels cropping up throughout too.
There are many food and drink outlets at the NEC, with meals ranging from fish and chips and Cornish pasties, to light snacks, coffee, and sandwiches. As well as in-house catering, mainstream names like Starbucks and Subway are also available on-site. Please note that not every eatery is open during every event, show, or exhibition.
On-site food and drink can also be ordered via the Zapaygo app, with food delivered directly to your table, via certain outlets.
Visitors to the NEC are also free to bring their own food and drink in from outside the venue, with the exception of alcohol.
There are plenty of toilet facilities at the NEC, with many in easy reach of exhibition halls and major concourses. Please note that certain toilets may change between male and female usage, on an event-by-event basis, so be sure to check the signage.
Baby change facilities are also available throughout the venue; bottle-warming and breastfeeding facilities are available in many of baby change toilets.
Birmingham International train station primarily serves the airport, but it is equally convenient if travelling to the NEC. Rail services from Birmingham, Coventry, London, and the rest of the UK regularly stop-off here, with many services only requiring a change at Birmingham New Street. Once you alight, simply take the airport's free "Air-Link Rail" monorail track, which makes the 90 second journey between the airport and NEC once every 2 minutes, or make the 1.6 km (19 min) walk to the venue yourself.
There is a public cycle path which runs via Birmingham International train station, and plenty of pretty woodland in the surrounding locale for cyclists to enjoy too. It is recommended that you plan your journey before embarking on bike however, as the venue is also surrounded by many busy roads and motorways.
At the NEC itself, there are 2 main groups of cycle racks: one is located by the Piazza (main entrance), and the other by the Atrium 1 entrance.
There is a public footpath which runs via Birmingham International train station, and plenty of pretty woodland in the surrounding locale to enjoy too. If travelling by foot, be sure to plan your journey beforehand, as the venue is also surrounded by many busy roads and motorways which are highly unsuitable for pedestrians.
National Exhibition Centre (NEC) has a capacity of approximately 10,000. However, the capacity does differ between events depending on the seating configuration.
North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1NT, United Kingdom.
There are not currently any events listed. We add events once dates are released by the organisers, so please check back soon for updates.
