Here's the latest on whether Cineworld cinemas will be closing in the UK and beyond in 2023.
It's been a bleak start to 2023, thanks to the announcement of M&S store closures, B&M stores closing and Argos stores shutting down, while some Foot Locker stores are closing in the US. Retailers aren't the only ones struggling amidst the current cost-of-living crisis, with banks like Nationwide and HSBC set to close branches. Then there's the sorry news that some Wetherspoons pubs will be shutting down too, as the British hospitality chain puts many up for sale.
It seems that no sector is safe, especially if new media reports are to be believed. Several national and regional newspapers have suggested that Cineworld's ongoing financial problems could see their cinemas closing down in the UK and Ireland. We've shared what Cineworld have said in light of reports and the full list of cinemas the movie theatre owns presently.
Is Cineworld closing down?
British media outlets have reported that Cineworld cinemas across the UK are at risk of closing as the company looks for a buyer, after falling into administration. However, Cineworld have clarified on Twitter that they have "no plans to close any cinemas".
Distressed moviegoers contacted the cinema chain online following reports of possible closures. "Please be reassured that we expect business will continue as usual for all of our cinemas," they replied to one Twitter user. Whilst in another tweet, Cineworld stated that there was "no truth to these rumours".
Hi Christopher, there is no truth to these rumours - we are business as usual for all of our customers and have no plans to close any cinemas.February 27, 2023
Whilst Cineworld have denied reports online, the company have yet to share a official statement confirming the future of their cinemas in the UK.
Cinewold Group Plc filed for Bankruptcy in the US in September 2022, and since this date have shut 23 of their US sites. The company have also confirmed that they are looking for a buyer amid ongoing financial re-structuring.
According to the Mirror, the movie theatre giant has been approached by a “number” of potential clients interested in a takeover. The company has expressed interest in offers made for buying the group as a whole, rather than individual assets.
A spokesperson for Cineworld said: "The company has now received non-binding proposals from a number of potential transaction counterparties for some or all of the group’s business."
Hi Amanda, none of our cinemas are closing and we remain business as usual for all of our customers 😊February 27, 2023
Though Cineworld have shared on Twitter that no cinema closures are imminent, Bloomsberg UK reports differently. In January 2023, a legal adviser told the publication that Cineworld Group Plc does have plans to close more branches. They share that Cineworld is currently "renegotiating its theater leases with landlords" in London. Elsewhere in the UK, the cinema chain will "consider more closures of venues that aren’t turning a profit".
Cineworld owns 478 cinemas globally, employing around 28,000 workers in ten countries. In the UK and Ireland, Cineworld has 129 cinemas.
Full list of Cineworld cinemas in the UK and Ireland
- Cineworld Queens Links, Aberdeen
- Cineworld Union Square, Aberdeen
- Cineworld Aldershot
- Cineworld Ashford
- Cineworld Ashton-under-Lyne
- Cineworld Barnsley
- Cineworld Basildon
- Cineworld Bedford
- Cineworld Belfast
- Cineworld Broad Street, Birmingham
- Cineworld NEC, Birmingham
- Cineworld Boldon Tyne and Wear
- Cineworld Bolton
- Cineworld Bracknell
- Cineworld Bradford
- Cineworld Braintree
- Cineworld Brighton
- Cineworld Bristol
- Cineworld Broughton
- Cineworld Burton upon Trent
- Cineworld Bury St Edmunds
- Cineworld Cardiff
- Cineworld Castleford
- Cineworld Cheltenham
- Cineworld Chesterfield
- Cineworld Chichester
- Cineworld Crawley
- Cineworld Dalton Park
- Cineworld Didcot
- Cineworld Didsbury
- Cineworld Dover
- Cineworld Dundee
- Cineworld Eastbourne
- Cineworld Edinburgh
- Cineworld Ely
- Cineworld Falkirk
- Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow
- Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow
- Cineworld Silverburn, Glasgow
- Cineworld Gloucester Quays
- Cineworld Harlow - Harvey Centre
- Cineworld Harlow - Queensgate
- Cineworld Haverhill
- Cineworld Hemel Hempstead
- Cineworld High Wycombe
- Cineworld Hinckley
- Cineworld Hull
- Cineworld Huntingdon
- Cineworld Ipswich
- Cineworld Leeds
- Cineworld Leigh
- Cineworld Llandudno
- Cineworld Bexleyheath, London
- Cineworld Enfield, London
- Cineworld Feltham, London
- Cineworld Hounslow, London
- Cineworld Ilford, London
- Cineworld Leicester Square, London
- Cineworld South Ruislip, London
- Cineworld The O2 Greenwich, London
- Cineworld Wandsworth, London
- Cineworld Wembley, London
- Cineworld West India Quay, London
- Cineworld Wood Green, London
- Cineworld Loughborough
- Cineworld Luton
- Cineworld Middlesbrough
- Cineworld Milton Keynes
- Cineworld Newcastle upon Tyne
- Cineworld Friars Walk, Newport
- Cineworld Isle of Wight, Newport
- Cineworld Spytty Park, Newport
- Cineworld Northampton
- Cineworld Nottingham
- Cineworld Plymouth
- Cineworld Poole
- Cineworld Rochester
- Cineworld Rugby
- Cineworld Runcorn
- Cineworld Rushden Lakes
- Cineworld Sheffield
- Cineworld Shrewsbury
- Cineworld Solihull
- Cineworld Speke
- Cineworld Stevenage
- Cineworld St Helens
- Cineworld St Neots
- Cineworld Stoke-on-Trent
- Cineworld Regent Circus, Swindon
- Cineworld Shaw Ridge, Swindon
- Cineworld Telford
- Cineworld Wakefield
- Cineworld Warrington
- Cineworld Watford
- Cineworld Weston-super-Mare
- Cineworld Weymouth
- Cineworld Whiteley
- Cineworld Witney
- Cineworld Wolverhampton
- Cineworld Yate
- Cineworld Yeovil
- Cineworld York
- Cineworld Dublin
Does Cineworld own Picturehouse cinemas?
Yes, Cineworld also operates a further 26 cinemas in the UK that make-up the Picturehouse brand. The company bought the art house cinema chain for £47.3 million in December 2021.
At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation from Cineworld on whether Picturehouse cinemas are at risk of closing at present.
At the time of the takeover, Stephen Wiener, ex-chief executive of Cineworld said: "This acquisition gives us an opportunity to accelerate our growth by reaching new audiences in a high value and growing part of the market."
Picturehouse cinemas prioritise showing independent and foreign movies that may not be airing in mainstream cinemas.
Picturehouse cinemas in the UK - full list
- Picturehouse Ashford
- Little Theatre Cinema, Bath
- Duke of York’s, Brighton
- Duke’s at Komedia, Brighton
- Arts, Cambridge
- Cameo, Edinburgh
- Picturehouse Exeter
- Regal, Henley-on-Thames
- Fact, Liverpool
- Picturehouse Bromley, London
- Picturehouse Clapham, London
- Picturehouse Crouch End, London
- Picturehouse East Dulwich, London
- Picturehouse Finsbury Park, London
- Picturehouse Fulham Road, London
- Picturehouse Greenwich, London
- Picturehouse Hackey, London
- Picturehouse Central, London
- Ritzy - Brixton, London
- Picturehouse Stratford, London
- The Gate, London
- Picturehouse West Norwood, London
- Cinema City, Norwich
- Phoenix, Oxford
- Harbour Lights, Southampton
- City Screen, York
Why did Cineworld file for administration?
Cineworld filed for bankruptcy protection in America in September 2022. According to Bloomsberg UK, the company was seeking help to pay off "nearly $9 billion of debt and leases accumulated as part of an acquisition spree".
It's understood that the company's debt increased during the pandemic, when cinemas were forced to shut during multiple, government imposed, UK-wide lockdowns.
"The pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for our business, with the enforced closure of cinemas and a huge disruption to film schedules that has led us to this point," Cineworld's current chief executive Mooky Greidinger said in September 2022.
Greidinger also assured that the bankruptcy filing is "part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our financial position" which will "create a more resilient capital structure and effective business".
"Our goal remains to further accelerate our strategy so we can grow our position as the 'best place to watch a movie'."
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