Birmingham Commonwealth Society Debate Competition

The Birmingham Commonwealth Society Debate Competition returns to the Birmingham City Council House on Tuesday 24 November, bringing together university debating teams from across the city to argue topics linked to the Commonwealth. It's an in-person evening, and the whole thing is staged in the Council House's Debating Chamber in Victoria Square, so the setting fits the subject matter.

Four teams are in the running this year: the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, and Newman University. The University of Birmingham arrives as defending champion, having won last year's final against Birmingham City University, while Aston and Newman join the field as new teams. The competition is organised by the Birmingham Commonwealth Society and hosted by the Birmingham City Council.

It's not just a spectator sport, either. The audience can get involved by posing questions to the teams throughout the night, and there are light refreshments on hand. If you're into watching people think on their feet and argue their way through a topic, this is exactly that, played out in one of the city's most traditional debating spaces.

The evening runs from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, with doors opening at 4:30 PM, so you've got plenty of time to get settled before the first round kicks off. You'll find it at the Council House's Debating Chamber, Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BB.