The vinyl countdown! Historic bar to reopen as pub and record shop

AN old Digbeth pub that has sat empty since 2018 is set to reclaim its spot on the city's hospitality scene with a new look, name and concept.

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The old O'Rourkes, on Oxford Street, will reopen in 2026 as The Digger Arms, a pub, vinyl bar and record shop complete with a roof terrace.

Before it was O’Rourkes, the pub was called The Old Wharf, known for hosting punk, indie and metal gigs. It was the home of the Go Club, too, before it closed that chapter in 2012.

The pub has been boarded over in recent years with members of community forums asking if it was abandoned.