Showcase Cinemas Manchester

Hyde Road,
Manchester, M12 5AL

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Showcase Cinemas

Firms: Abbey Hanson Rowe

Nearby Theaters

Showcase Cinemas Manchester

Built on part of the former famous Belle Vue entertainment complex, the 14-screen Showcase Cinemas opened on 17th October 1989. It was closed on March 17, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was confirmed in October 2020 that the closure would be permanent. It was demolished in May 2021.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 11 comments)

woody
woody on March 29, 2011 at 2:18 pm

exterior shot from around 1991, standard Showcase exterior and design from the late 80's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/2120723527/
and auditorium shot from the opening night
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/2121499754/

woody
woody on March 29, 2011 at 2:19 pm

the cinema was built on the site of the former Belle Vue Zoo and is apparently haunted, the car park is built on the site of the boating lake

woody
woody on March 29, 2011 at 2:25 pm

the Zoo entrance in 1978
View link
prior to the Zoo, the site was occupied by the notorious Belle Vue prison
View link
the roller coasters in 1956, this is now where the entrance to the cinema car park is
View link

the cinema has now been repainted in beige and maroon giving it a very 80’s looks
View link

mh1
mh1 on October 6, 2020 at 1:09 pm

Its confirmed, this cinema will never reopen, it last trading day was March 2020

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/belle-vue-showcase-cinema-demolished-19035850

mh1
mh1 on October 7, 2020 at 1:17 am

Drove past the cinema earlier tonight. The Showcase signage has been removed from the front of the building, the lights are now off (they were on when I’ve driven past in the last month whilst waiting for Showcase to make it statement, even though the doors are boarded up. The confirmed last trading day was the 17th March 2020.

mh1
mh1 on October 7, 2020 at 1:23 am

Looking on Wayback machine, references to this cinema were removed from Showcase.co.uk between the 7th and 19th September. On the 7th September, the Covid section on the website made reference to all cinema having reopned apart from Manchester, with an statement that More information will follow in due course. The statement is seem is all reference to this cinema being removed from the website, signage removed from the cinema and an statement to the local press.

It an real shame that after 30 years of operations the cinema get no fanfare for it closure.

rivest266
rivest266 on May 20, 2021 at 11:18 pm

February 2021 tour

rivest266
rivest266 on November 16, 2021 at 7:20 pm

It’s now gone. Google streetview in the photo section.

Moron2021
Moron2021 on December 9, 2021 at 3:18 pm

Urban explorers had a detailed look round shortly before demolition -see YouTube

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