A cinema in Cardiff city centre has announced its sudden closure with immediate effect. The independently run Premiere Cinema announced its "untimely" closure on Monday, October 17.
The venue, which opened in the Capitol shopping centre in 2015, was popular among moviegoers in the city, offering screenings of the latest films with all general admission tickets priced at just £4. It also hosted special events, with the opening night of the Iris Prize, the world's largest LGBT+ short film competition, held at the cinema just days before its closure was announced.
In a statement, the team behind the cinema confirmed the news "with a heavy heart", saying that the closure would be effective immediately. Get the latest What's On news from WalesOnline sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter.
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"It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the untimely closure of Premiere Cinema, effective on the 17th of October 2022," the statement read. "We’d like to take this time to personally thank each and every one of you for coming to visit our independent cinema and watching films with us."
"Thank you to the loyal customers who continuously supported us during the industry’s hard times. We hope you all have a good memory here with us, because seeing you leave with smiles on your faces is what made us who we are. Thank you to our brilliant team of staff, who will never be strangers because of Premiere. Not many people have the opportunity to come to work and genuinely love what they do, but all of you lovely customers made that possible for us. It’s been one hell of a ride and we’re glad to have shared it with you," it added. "Please look after yourselves and we'll see you around!"
It has not yet been confirmed exactly why the cinema has closed, but the industry was heavily impacted by the Covid pandemic, with theatres remaining closed for months during lockdown. Global chains have also been affected, with Cineworld reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy earlier this year with debts of around £4 billion.
People have already shared their disappointment at the news, with some claiming that the capital was losing its best cinema. "This is terrible news," said one. "Thanks for being such a wonderful cinema, I will miss you." Another added: "No way! So sad, such great value for families. Feeling sorry for the staff too," while a third wrote: "Such a shame to hear! We loved coming and preferred it well over the other cinemas in Cardiff, great staff, reasonable prices and much better options for subtitles on films than others. All the best."
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