New pop-up cinema at Dumfries' Loreburn Hall proving popular with film lovers

Cinema audiences are clearly loving the new pop-up venue created within Dumfries’ Loreburn Hall by the team behind the Big Burns Supper festival.

Families and youngsters have been enjoying the facility and have been watching screenings of Encanto and Sing 2, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog and Phantom of the Open and The Nan Movie, during the Easter break.

A new membership scheme which is free to join online at www.bigburnssupper.com or by calling on 01387 73371 Monday to Friday, 9am until 4pm, gives a cut-price ticket of £5.99 for the cinema screenings instead of £9.99.

The large screen cinema – which seats 80 and is running in collaboration with support company INDY cinema – compliments a trio of bars and a Le Haggis lounge which will present live jazz and cabaret in coming months.

Allison McLellan, head of operations at Loreburn Hall, said: “We have listened very carefully to local people and our low-priced cinema tickets and food and drink is about us being realistic about how much money people have so that we encourage people to get out of the house and come and socialise.”

The next film being shown is Ambulance today, tomorrow and Sunday.

With the support from Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Loreburn Hall will also become a new event space in the centre of town for the next 11 months which could boost cultural life after the pandemic.

With an overall capacity of 1,200 people – and also available for community events and private parties and meeting hires – the hall space will transfer back into a concert venue for three days of live music next weekend.

Cinema screenings will resume in May after the short break as Big Burns Supper’s rescheduled shows from January will run from Friday until Sunday with their tribute Sessions, including Status Quo Experience, Bob Marley Experience, The Complete Stone Roses, Mercury, Abba Revival and many more. They are free to watch but must be booked in advance.

Rachael McDougall, who chairs the board which is temporarily running Loreburn Hall, said they are keen to get the community involved and to test the waters to see what it could grow into.

She said: “This is a community space, for and by the community. Big Burns Supper is a unique non-profit organisation that is testing the use of the space over the next 11 months.” If you have an idea for a community event, come and talk to us.”

Anyone who wants to get involved, should email ideas@bigburnssupper.com or call the team on 01387 733717.