London’s cinemas announce temporary closure

UPDATE: The Prince Charles Cinema has also temporarily closed its doors. ‘It was decided that due to COVID-19 we will shut our doors effective immediately,’ said the cinema in a statement. ‘We will be closing for a period of two weeks with a review based on the situation from there if we should remain closed further.’

London’s cinemas have started putting up the shutters as the city self-isolates in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Picturehouse, its parent company Cineworld, Curzon, Everyman, Odeon and Vue have announced the temporary closure of all their cinemas. BFI Southbank has also locked its doors for the time being.

‘The health and safety of our staff and customers is paramount and we have therefore made the difficult decision to close all our cinemas until further notice,’ said Curzon in a statement. 

As of this morning, a few London cinemas remain open, including the Prince Charles Cinema, with extra health and safety measures in place. Keep an eye on the relevant websites for updates.

Falling short of a formal instruction, the government’s suggestion that people ‘avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues’ has left London’s cinemas – along with the capital’s theatres, bars and restaurants – in an incredibly difficult position. In many cases, they’ll be unable to claim insurance for these closures.

They’ll need our support more than ever – watch this space for ideas on how we can rally behind our favourite picture palaces.

Keep an eye on the latest events cancelled due to coronavirus. 

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