New cinema now open in Bodmin

Monday 29th July 2019

Cornwall's newest cinema officially opened on Wednesday, July 24.  The new Capitol Cinema in Bodmin is finally opening after an eight-month project to convert the local Public Rooms into a four-screen venue.

Merlin Cinemas said it was anxious to open last weekend as the Lion King is one of the most anticipated films of the year and the summer school holidays locally were about to start.

The cinema has been built in the old Bodmin Public Rooms (Image: Charlotte Becquart)

This has resulted in the opening date being brought forward and a major “grand opening” will now be held in a few weeks’ time to mark the occasion of a cinema returning to Bodmin, after an absence since the early 1980s when the Palace theatre closed.

This will be the company’s sixth cinema in Cornwall and marks the end of what was a controversial purchase by the company of this iconic building, the Public Rooms, from the local council.  Merlin Cinemas has since invested over £1m in adapting the hall internally to provide a modern cinema whilst retaining many of the original features of the building.

The Capitol will bring to Bodmin “Event Cinema”, in which opera, ballet, concerts and shows are beamed in live by satellite.