Cineworld will say goodbye to its Weymouth site today, before its branches in Castleford, Leigh, Middlesbrough, Northampton and Poole all close on January 19
Cineworld is closing the first of six branches today, in what will be a major blow for film fans.
The struggling cinema chain will say goodbye to its Weymouth site today. Cineworld confirmed it would be closing six more sites in a major update earlier this month. The other five Cineworld sites that will be closing are Castleford, Leigh, Middlesbrough, Northampton and Poole. These will all shut on January 19, with the Middlesbrough and Northampton sites set to reopen as Odeon branches later this year.
Cineworld said the closures are due to landlords ending their contract with the cinema chain. It comes after Cineworld had its major restructuring plans approved in September 2024, after four companies which form part of the UK arm of Cineworld told a High Court they were at risk of collapsing into administration.
This resulted in Cineworld renegotiating rent agreements at several of its branches – but sadly, five sites were shut in Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon Regent Circus. Before the restructure, Cineworld had almost 100 cinema complexes in the UK.
Cineworld says its restructure has unlocked £40million in liquidity. It also now plans to invest up to £35million in refurbishing its existing cinemas. The High Court case heard from Cine-UK Ltd, Cineworld Cinemas Ltd, Cineworld Cinema Properties Ltd and Cineworld Estates Ltd, which are parts of the UK arm of Cineworld. They form part of a wider group which operates cinemas in ten countries, including the US under the Regal Cinemas brand.
Cineworld suffered from a massive drop in sales, after its cinemas were forced to close during the Covid-19 pandemic – on top of this, it continues to face added pressure from more people using streaming services. Tom Smith KC, the barrister involved in the court case, said the cinema chain was also “severely adversely impacted” by strikes by screen actors and writers last year.
Javier Sotomayor, President of Cineworld International said: “The successful completion of our Restructuring Plan, achieved with the crucial support of our landlords, protects thousands of jobs across the UK and provides us with the financial stability to continue investing in delivering extraordinary experiences for our valued customers. This milestone sets the stage for a brighter future, enabling Cineworld to continue sharing joy in communities across the UK for many years to come.”
Full list of new Cineworld closures
- Weymouth – December 30
- Castleford – January 19
- Leigh – January 19
- Middlesbrough – January 19
- Northampton – January 19
- Poole – January 19
