Nocturnal 
The Odeon in Beckenham High Street will shut its doors for good at the end of November, bringing an end to 25 years of film screenings at the historic site.
The cinema’s owners, Citygate Church, are hoping to turn the Grade II-listed building into a place of worship. The church has submitted an application to Bromley Council that would see the six-screen venue returned to a single auditorium, with decorative Art Deco features currently hidden from view uncovered once again. The exterior would also be repaired and restored, according to an initial consultation page.
An Odeon spokesperson confirmed the closure in a statement, saying: “ODEON Beckenham will be closing at the end of November 2026, following the landlord’s decision to repurpose the building. The cinema will continue to welcome guests as usual until then.”
They added: “We would like to apologise to our guests for any inconvenience this will cause. Supporting our team is our number one priority, and we will look to secure roles for as many affected colleagues as possible at our other cinema locations.”
A cinema since 1930
The High Street site has been a film theatre since 1930, when it first opened as The Regal Cinema with a screening of The Rogue Song. It changed hands several times over the decades before Odeon took on the lease in 2000.
The building has long been regarded as an architectural gem and a local landmark. That status was thrown into sharp focus last September, when a huge fire tore through a neighbouring building on Beckenham High Street. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to the blaze, which was seen sending smoke for miles across London, reportedly visible as far away as the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
The London Fire Brigade said the fire severely damaged the roof and upper floors of the adjoining mixed-use building, which was under refurbishment at the time. Station Commander Tony Perks said at the time: “Firefighters have worked extremely hard to prevent the fire spreading significantly to adjoining buildings, including a cinema, resulting in very limited damage to those buildings.”
No injuries were reported and the cause of that fire was placed under investigation, according to the London Fire Brigade.
What happens next
Citygate Church is now inviting the local community to have its say on the proposed change of use. A drop-in public meeting is being held at the church on Rectory Road from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, 10 October, while residents can also submit their views through an online survey open until 5pm on Tuesday, 13 October.
An exact closing date for the Odeon has not yet been confirmed, but the cinema has said it will remain open to guests as usual until the end of November.
For now, the future of the building rests on the outcome of the council application and the community consultation, but it looks increasingly likely that after nearly a century of screenings, the curtain is finally coming down on cinema in Beckenham High Street.
