The Prince Charles Cinema has been saved

For almost two years, London’s beloved Prince Charles Cinema has been battling for its future. Now, finally, that fight is over. That’s right, the Prince Charles is here to stay! 

Back in January 2025, the Leicester Square venue was threatened by potential redevelopment by Zedwell LSQ Ltd and parent company Criterion Capital. It shared that the companies were demanding a rent ‘far above market rate’ and that a new clause, if triggered, would leave the PCC homeless with six months’ notice.

RECOMMENDED: An oral history of Prince Charles Cinema.

But after months and months of uncertainty, the picturehouse has just agreed a lease that means it’ll host its iconic movie marathons and cult screenings for at least 25 more years. In a post shared to Instagram on Thursday morning (October 15), the cinema said: ‘The Prince Charles Cinema is thrilled to announce that we have signed a new 25-year lease with no break clause, ensuring our projectors will keep rolling for years to come.’

It shared that more than 168,000 people had signed the petition to keep the cinema open, and thanked the the Soho Society for recommending that Westminster Council officially designate the venue an Asset of Community Value, which it subsequently did. That meant that the building had greater protection and that if owners wanted to sell, the community has the right to try to raise funds to buy it back first. 

The PCC gave another special thanks to its ‘phenomenal staff who have kept things going without missing a beat’ and to ‘the army of film-lovers who keep coming through our doors, proving that the magic of a cinema is truly the community that shares the movies it presents’. 

Vaq Farooq, CEO of Criterion Capital added: ‘The West End is successful because of its extraordinary blend of culture, entertainment, hospitality and independent enterprise. The Prince Charles Cinema is the embodiment of that spirit, and through this agreement, Criterion is delighted to continue supporting a vibrant and diverse West End.’

Number 8 on Time Out’s list of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world, the PCC is a true one-of-a-kind in the pantheon of picture houses. 

The news means that moviegoers can settle in for another quarter century of 35mm screenings, all-nighters, quizzes and cult favourites, with the very real prospect of bumping into famous PCC stans like Paul Thomas Anderson or Quentin Tarantino in the foyer thrown in for extra frisson. 

Take a look at Time Out’s Guide to the 25 best cinemas in London.

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