Back in the summer, Time Out reported that cinema giant Cineworld was in talks to sell some of its UK sites after appointing administrators and being delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Now, as it continues to tackle significant debt, the multiplex chain has officially launched a restructuring plan.
Cineworld has officially declared several of its branches ‘commercially unviable’ and will be closing them permanently. The chain has successfully negotiated rent reductions at dozens of its 90 UK sites, restructuring in order to ‘enable it to address its lease portfolio and rental terms with landlords in the UK’. Employees at the chosen sites will be offered jobs at alternative branches as far as possible.
Cineworld also addressed rumours that a total of 25 branches will eventually be scrapped, stating that ‘the total number of impacted sites cannot be confirmed until the process is complete’. While we await updates, here are the six branches that are definitely shutting down.
Which Cineword cinemas are closing – and when?
- Castleford
- Leigh
- Middlesbrough
- Northampton
- Poole
- Weymouth
Weymouth will be the first to close, on December 30.
Sites in Swindon, Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon Regent Circus have already shut as part of the restructure. In some positive news, Cineworld Hinckley, previously threatened with closure, will remain open.
The UK’s best cinemas, with Time Out
Luckily, the UK has a collection of cinemas continuing to screen the latest blockbusters and cult classics. Here at Time Out, we picked 50 of our favourites. Or if you want to go a bit further afield, check out four of the UK’s most remote cinemas or 50 most beautiful cinemas in the world.
Which Dobbies are closing down? Here’s the full list of 17 iconic garden centres closing across the UK.
Plus: three of the ‘world’s greatest places to visit’ are in the UK.
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