Entertainment in Dudley

For tourist West End shows and high-budget productions, your best bet is to head to the Birmingham Hippodrome, which we’ve included in our guide to entertainment in Birmingham. That doesn’t mean that you can’t see some great theatre, comedy and talks in Dudley, though.

Dudley Town Hall is a great entertainment space that welcomes a variety of acts to its stage. Musical theatre and drama productions, world-famous comedians, bands and tribute acts all regularly perform here, including the likes of Jimmy Carr and Sir Lenny Henry. It’s located right in the town centre, with plenty of local bars and restaurants for pre- and post-show drinks and food. Check their busy schedule of shows and see what’s on during your stay.

If you want to support the local amateur theatre company, then make your way to Dudley Little Theatre in Netherton. They’ve been putting on shows here since 1947, and continue to produce around 16 plays a year with tickets costing £10 or less. There’s actually very little that’s amateur about their productions. With high-quality sets, lighting and acting, we’re confident you’d forget that it wasn't a professional show pretty quickly.

Dudley is located in between two big football clubs, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with about a 20-minute journey to both from our Dudley Town Centre hotel. But before we tell you more about them, let us start with the town’s local team, Dudley Town F.C. Nicknamed ‘The Robins,’ they currently play in the West Midlands Premier Division at their ground on Noose Lane. They’re one of the oldest Midlands clubs, having been founded in 1888, and have provided the springboard for a number of players’ careers, including former England manager Sam Allardyce.

West Bromwich Albion F.C. is one of the big clubs in the West Midlands, regularly playing in front of over 25,000 fans at The Hawthorns. The club was founded in 1878 and is one of the founding members of the English Football League. They’ve spent the majority of their existence in the top-flight of English football, competing with bitter rivals Wolves, as well as Birmingham and Aston Villa for the reputation of the most successful club in the West Midlands.

Formed a year earlier than their bitter rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently enjoying a successful period with successive promotions to the Premier League and an influx of exciting players being signed and produced by the club. They play at the Molineux Stadium, a 32,000-capacity ground which is regularly sold out by their loyal fans. 

There are plenty of places to catch a gig in and around Dudley, with the most popular being The River Rooms in nearby Stourbridge. Okay, you might not see ACDC here, but you can see the next best thing. The venue specialises in tribute acts and upcoming bands who grace the stage in the converted factory unit in front of like-minded local music lovers.

Your next best option is to head to one of the many pubs who put on live music every week. Our top pick is The Shrewsbury Arms on Wolverhampton Street, where you can enjoy live music every Friday or take to the stage yourself with karaoke every Saturday night.