Star City is a family leisure and entertainment complex in
Nechells,
Birmingham,
England. It is located in the north east of the city very close to Junction 6 of the
M6 motorway (Spaghetti Junction), and Aston railway station.[1]
Development
This former derelict industrial land was developed as part of a regeneration scheme for the Heartlands area and to change Birmingham's image for the 21st century. Its centrepiece is the 25-screen (formerly 30-screen)
Vue cinema, at the time the largest cinema in
Europe and originally opened as Warner Brothers Cinema. The construction was carried out by
Wolverhampton based firm
Carillion.[2] The complex was formally opened in July 2000 by actors
George Clooney and
Mark Wahlberg to coincide with the UK premier of
The Perfect Storm. With some 392,000 square feet (36,400 m2) of leisure space, it is one of the largest leisure complexes in the United Kingdom.[3]
Attractions
Star City, Birmingham, England.
A 22-lane
Megabowl (now branded as 'Tenpin') bowling alley was revealed when Star City opened and has remained since.
By the end of 2003, it was the largest leisure park in the country ahead of
The Printworks in
Manchester and
The Mailbox in Birmingham city centre.[4]
A
Goals soccer centre opened in 2007 with fourteen floodlit pitches situated on the roof. Goals also incorporates a Sports Bar which shows year round sporting events on both Sky and Terrestrial TV.[5]
The centre underwent a major redevelopment in 2008. England's first indoor 36 hole adventure
mini golf course, 'Adventure Island Mini Golf', opened on 11 June 2008.[6]
Reflecting the community
Star City is located in
Nechells where
ethnic minorities make up the majority of the area's population.[7] As a result, the screening of
Bollywood films by Vue's theatre at the site is seen as an attraction for visitors. Entertainment for the venue includes a visit made by the
CanadianCirque du Soleil in 2005.[8]
2019 violence
On 23 November 2019 at the
Vue cinema, during a screening of Blue Story, which depicts gang violence, a violent disturbance broke out. Some of those involved carried machetes. Seven
West Midlands Police officers were injured and a number of people were arrested.[9][10] Following the incident, Vue banned all future screenings of the film from its cinemas.[9]