The Empire Cinemas chain has collapsed into administration after suffering during the pandemic and seeing dwindling numbers of cinemagoers. Around 150 jobs have been lost after six cinemas were closed with immediate effect, according to joint administrators at BDO.
Cinemas in Bishop's Stortford, Catterick Garrison, Sunderland, Swindon, Walthamstow and Wigan have closed. The already-shut site in Sutton Coldfield will not reopen. The closures leave the city of Sunderland and town of Wigan with no main cinema.
People and staff turned up to cinemas on Friday to find notes on windows explaining that it was closing down, according to local reports. Empire Cinemas runs 12 theatres under the Empire brand and two Tivoli-branded cinemas in Bath and Cheltenham, employing 437 staff across England and Scotland prior to the closures.
