Vue Cinemas to reopen all UK venues from 17 May

The cinema chain has carried out upgrades to many of its venues during the forced closure.

The move is in line with the government’s roadmap out of the coronavirus lockdown that allows for indoor entertainment and hospitality, among other activities, to resume in mid-May provided an array of criteria are met.

Vue had previously closed a quarter of all its venues for three days a week in order to reduce costs, but will be reopening every site fully later this month.

“It’s been a long year marked by restrictions on our daily lives and we know that the importance of escapism has never been stronger, but we’ve been more focused than ever on providing the ultimate big screen experience at Vue,” said Simon Greenwood, head of operations at Vue Entertainment UK and Ireland, in a statement released by Screen Daily.

Many other major chains have announced reopening plans for 17 May, including Odeon, Britain’s largest chain, and Cineworld.