Cineworld to close dozens of sites and axe hundreds of jobs
Cineworld is renowned as a leading global Cinema group operating in 10; the UK, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Israel and the US.
Despite its popularity among cinema fans, the chain has announced that dozens of its 751 sites, 100 of which are in the UK, will close.
It is reportedly set to close around 25 UK cinemas and axe hundreds of jobs under a new plan to save the business.
Sources told Sky News that around half a dozen Cineworld cinemas would begin a closure process immediately and shut for good this summer.
It follows the recent closure of three sites in Newport (Wales), Runcorn (Cheshire) and Bristol.
Two of these (Cineworld Runcorn and Cineworld Bristol), closed as a result of a bankruptcy ruling in the US.
The cinema giant filed for bankruptcy protection in America in September 2022 after seeking help to pay off “nearly $9 billion of debt and leases accumulated as part of an acquisition spree”, reported Bloomberg UK.
Both locations were axed on November 26, 2023. Before this, Cineworld Friar Walk, a chain in Newport, closed down after failing to re-open its doors after the UK’s coronavirus lockdown.
A Cineworld spokesperson said that the exact sites earmarked for closure, which could be any from the following list, would be shared on Friday, July 26.
Full list of UK Cineworld sites
1. Cineworld Queens Links, Aberdeen
2. Cineworld Union Square, Aberdeen
3. Cineworld Aldershot
4. Cineworld Ashford
5. Cineworld Ashton-under-Lyne
6. Cineworld Barnsley
7. Cineworld Basildon
8. Cineworld Bedford
9. Cineworld Belfast
10. Cineworld Broad Street, Birmingham
11. Cineworld NEC, Birmingham
12. Cineworld Boldon Tyne and Wear
13. Cineworld Bolton
14. Cineworld Bracknell
15. Cineworld Bradford
16. Cineworld Braintree
17. Cineworld Brighton
18. Cineworld Broughton
19. Cineworld Burton upon Trent
20. Cineworld Bury St Edmunds
21. Cineworld Cardiff
22. Cineworld Castleford
23. Cineworld Cheltenham
24. Cineworld Chesterfield
25. Cineworld Chichester
26. Cineworld Crawley
27. Cineworld Dalton Park
28. Cineworld Didcot
29. Cineworld Didsbury
30. Cineworld Dover
31. Cineworld Dublin
32. Cineworld Dundee
33. Cineworld Eastbourne
34. Cineworld Edinburgh
35. Cineworld Ely
36. Cineworld Falkirk
37. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow
38. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow
39. Cineworld Silverburn, Glasgow
40. Cineworld Gloucester Quays
41. Cineworld Harlow – Harvey Centre
42. Cineworld Harlow – Queensgate
43. Cineworld Haverhill
44. Cineworld Hemel Hempstead
45. Cineworld High Wycombe
46. Cineworld Hinckley
47. Cineworld Hull
48. Cineworld Huntingdon
49. Cineworld Ipswich
50. Cineworld Leeds
51. Cineworld Leigh
52. Cineworld Llandudno
53. Cineworld Bexleyheath, London
54. Cineworld Enfield, London
55. Cineworld Feltham, London
56. Cineworld Hounslow, London
57. Cineworld Ilford, London
58. Cineworld Leicester Square, London
59. Cineworld South Ruislip, London
60. Cineworld The O2 Greenwich, London
61. Cineworld Wandsworth, London
62. Cineworld Wembley, London
63. Cineworld West India Quay, London
64. Cineworld Wood Green, London
65. Cineworld Loughborough
66. Cineworld Luton
67. Cineworld Middlesbrough
68. Cineworld Milton Keynes
69. Cineworld Newcastle upon Tyne
70. Cineworld Isle of Wight, Newport
71. Cineworld Spytty Park, Newport
72. Cineworld Northampton
73. Cineworld Nottingham
74. Cineworld Plymouth
75. Cineworld Poole
76. Cineworld Rochester
77. Cineworld Rugby
78. Cineworld Rushden Lakes
79. Cineworld Sheffield
80. Cineworld Shrewsbury
81. Cineworld Solihull
82. Cineworld Speke
83. Cineworld Stevenage
84. Cineworld St Helens
85. Cineworld St Neots
86. Cineworld Stoke-on-Trent
87. Cineworld Regent Circus, Swindon
88. Cineworld Shaw Ridge, Swindon
89. Cineworld Telford
90. Cineworld Wakefield
91. Cineworld Warrington
92. Cineworld Watford
93. Cineworld Weston-super-Mare
94. Cineworld Weymouth
95. Cineworld Whiteley
96. Cineworld Witney
97. Cineworld Wolverhampton
98. Cineworld Yate
99. Cineworld Yeovil
100. Cineworld York
In addition to Cineworld sites, the chain will also close some Picturehouse locations, which it also owns.
Last month Picturehouse confirmed the closure of three London-based branches: Fulham Road, Bromley and Stratford East.
Fulham Road has already been axed with Stratford East to open its doors one last time on July 28. Bromley Picturehouse will officially close down on August 1.
A statement from the cinema chain read: “Each are beloved cinemas but increasing operational costs and declining admissions at these venues have left us with no other choice.”
