2025-05-06

Hammerson adds Odeon cinema to Bristol Cabot Circus

Property
Hammerson adds Odeon cinema to Bristol Cabot Circus
The shiny new Odeon Luxe sign at the entrance to the former Odeon Birmingham Broadway Plaza, which was an AMC site until 2012
Pictures from a backstage tour of the new Odeon Luxe cinema at Broadway Plaza which is set to be fully completed within two weeks in mid June, 2018.
Every screen will have reclining seats with tables when Odeon's giant Broadway Plaza site is renamed Odeon Luxe Birmingham
It has been converted into Britain's biggest luxury cinema in the city where the company was founded in 1930.
Set to be renamed as Odeon Luxe Birmingham, work is almost finished on the ambitious plan to turn all 12 screens into bespoke theatres, giving every customer the chance to sit in an electrically-powered reclining chair with individual retractable tables.
All eight screens upstairs were converted during the early spring before work began in April to transform the four ground floor screens.
Odeon Luxe Birmingham general manager Susan Harrison said: ''We're extremely proud that Birmingham will be home to the Midlands' first Odeon Luxe cinema.
"With Odeon having such a strong connection to the city -including its first cinema being built here in 1930 - it really has been fantastic to see the journey the cinema has undertaken over the past months.
"It has been transforming into the ultimate luxury venue for film fans to enjoy for many more years to come."
Seating in the iSense screen has also been converted, even though it was only created from Screen 1 in October 2012 in time for the release of James Bond thriller Skyfall. Odeon's alternative screen to IMAX will still have 4K projection and Dolby ATMOS sound.
The other 11 standard screens will have improved picture quality with Dolby 7.1 surround sound delivered through 190 brand new speakers.
The cinema has stayed open throughout the transformation process, albeit with a reduced number of screens operating.
When US company AMC first opened the site it had 2,909 seats in 12 screens.
Odeon took it over in the summer of 2012, but although the number of screens will stay the same when it open in June the number of seats will have gone down to 1,264.
But the upside is that they will offer films fans triple the legroom and increased personal space while making booking near essential for new blockbusters at peak times.
Anyone hard of hearing will be able to use a new Dolby Fidelio Audio Description system and an upgraded hearing-impaired system across all screens.
Current prices are £12 for adults, £9.50 for teens (13-17) and £10 for seniors. Words, pictures and video by Graham Young

Property giant Hammerson has announced plans to add an Odeon to its Bristol Cabot Circus shopping centre. The agreement will see the UK's largest cinema brand opening a big screen within the complex next year.

It comes a year after the closure of Showcase Cinema de Lux which at the time was the city's biggest multiplex cinema with 14 screens. It had operated within Cabot Circus since the shopping centre's opening in 2008, but was shut last November.

Hammerson said at the time they were "committed" to having a large cinema as part of the shopping centre. The firm carried out a customer survey earlier this year and found that a new cinema was the leisure experience most requested by visitors to Cabot Circus.

Toby Tait, director of asset management at Hammerson, said: “Cabot Circus is proud of its record providing Bristol with a leading cinema which acts as a key draw to both our destination and the wider city centre.

"This new partnership with Odeon is the culmination of months of hard work to select the best operator and bring the latest technology and experience into a completely renewed cinema venue. It adds to our growing line-up of restaurants and entertainment venues, specifically introduced to boost day and night experiences at Cabot Circus in the heart of Bristol.”

The news follows a string of recent deals between Hammerson and leisure operators for Cabot Circus, including King Pins Bowl which will open its 16,500 sq ft gaming venue next year. Meanwhile, Treetop Golf - an immersive golfing experience - is opening in December.

A number of food outlets are also set to open, including popular gastronomical concept Six by Nico and poke bowl chain Honi Poke, which chose Cabot Circus as one of its first sites outside London.

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