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The Light Entertainment, also known as The Light Cinemas (stylised as the light), is a British independent cinema chain that exclusively screens films using
digital cinema Digital cinema is the digital technology used within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film. Whereas film reels have to be shipped to mo ...
technology. The Light was founded in 2007 by former
Cineworld Regal Cineworld Group (trading as Cineworld) is a British cinema operator headquartered in London, England. It is the world's second-largest cinema chain (after AMC Theatres), with 9,139 screens across 747 sites in 10 countries: Bulgaria, Czec ...
director Keith Pullinger and former
Warner Village Cinemas Warner Village Cinemas was a chain of multiplex cinemas operated by Warner Bros. in the various locations throughout Europe. Created in the late 1980s in the UK as Warner Bros. Cinemas, these locations acted as a rival to Paramount and Univers ...
director John Sullivan. The oldest UK cinema in the chain is currently in New Brighton, which opened in December 2011. Since then, thirteen more venues have opened across the UK, while the company has also been involved in cinema exhibition internationally, in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. The cinema chain offers screenings of both mainstream and independent films in a 'luxurious' environment, with standard cinema ticket prices. Their venues also include a
café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...
/ bar, and some include entertainment facilities such as
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
,
karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...
,
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
, and retro arcades. The Light offers ''Premiere'' cards, which allow subscribers to view films for a flat monthly fee.


Brand

The Light initially sought to compete with its major rivals by taking advantage of
digital cinema Digital cinema is the digital technology used within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film. Whereas film reels have to be shipped to mo ...
technology, which is comparatively cheaper than traditional
film stock Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent pl ...
projection. The chain is exclusively digital, meaning that it can also broadcast sports, live theatre, music and opera performances. Additionally, Pullinger has argued that digital screening gives The Light a 'flexibility' to choose between showing more, different films and showing the same film on several screens simultaneously. The Light also pitches itself as a "community" cinema. It offers an alternative to the traditional
multiplex Multiplex may refer to: Science and technology * Multiplex communication, combining many signals into one transmission circuit or channel ** Multiplex (television), a group of digital television or radio channels that are combined for broadcast * ...
concept, focusing on customer comfort, and criticising larger chains for being "locked into Hollywood blockbusters". The Light regularly show films in various languages depending on local demographics,audio description Audio description (AD), also referred to as a video description, described video, or visual description, is a form of narration used to provide information surrounding key visual elements in a media work (such as a film or television program, or ...
,
subtitles Subtitles are texts representing the contents of the audio in a film, television show, opera or other audiovisual media. Subtitles might provide a transcription or translation of spoken dialogue. Although naming conventions can vary, caption ...
, and that cater to the needs of those with
dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...
or
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
. In the spring of 2019, The Light did screenings of a variety of
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
films, including some from
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
. As part of their attempts to create what Pullinger described as a "cinema environment that feels luxurious, with plenty of atmosphere and personality", The Light cinemas have a café/bar incorporated into the venue. For example, in the Bolton venue that opened in 2016 they included large
murals A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...
depicting heroic movie characters, and designed their furniture to have a rough finish in a nod to the town's industrial heritage. From 2022, the chain started offering new facilities in some of its venues, such as bowling, mini-golf, interactive
darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...
, climbing facilities and karaoke.


History

Founded in 2007 by Keith Pullinger and John Sullivan, The Light opened its first UK venue in December 2011 in New Brighton, followed later by a second venue in Wisbech in May 2014. The cinema chain made national headlines in 2015, when they successfully raised the £5.2 million needed to purchase a nine-screen multiplex in Cambridge from rival company Cineworld. The latter had been forced to sell the venue following a
Competition Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competition regulator under t ...
ruling. At this point in January 2015, they had already signed new lease agreements in Bolton, Sheffield, Thetford, Dundee, Stockport and Walsall. While the
Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
site eventually fell through as negotiations with the local shopping centre fell apart, the other five venues successfully opened over the next three years. Two more sites, in Addlestone and Bradford, opened in 2018, bringing their total in the UK up to 10.


COVID-19 pandemic and reopening

Following the nationwide UK COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, cinemas across the country were forced to close. They were briefly able to reopen from August 2020, but following the imposition of a second and later a third lockdown in England, they were forced to close again. In May 2021, fourteen months after their initial closure, The Light cinemas were able to open again. This month also saw them open their eleventh UK venue in Sittingbourne. The economic impacts of the
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
also destroyed the chain's hopes of opening a venue in
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
. Plans in the city fell apart when shopping centre company Intu, leaders on the transformation project, went into administration in June 2020 due to the pandemic. Despite this setback, Pullinger maintained that The Light was "actively seeking" a venue in Nottingham, with the chain offering an ‘expanded’ offering to new sites. This included not just cinema screenings, a café and bar, but also
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
, mini-golf, interactive
darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...
,
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
facilities and
karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...
. The first site to offer these new facilities was based in Banbury, and opened in 2022. In 2023, the chain’s 13th site was opened in Redhill, Surrey, including these facilities and also introducing for the first time axe throwing,
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...
and
duckpin bowling Duckpin bowling is a variation of the sport of bowling. Duckpin balls are in diameter, weigh between each, and lack finger holes. They are thus significantly smaller than those used in ten-pin bowling but are slightly larger and heavier than th ...
.


2024 acquisition

In October 2024, The Light was acquired by hospitality entrepreneur Luke Johnson, who had worked with
Pizza Express PizzaExpress (Restaurants) Limited, trading as Pizza Express (also called Pizza Marzano or Milano), is a British multinational pizza restaurant chain. It has over 500 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, ...
and
Gail's Gail's (styled "GAIL's") is a British bakery and coffee shop chain headquartered in London, England. History The bakery opened its first shop on Hampstead High Street in 2005 and its 100th in East Sheen in 2022. In 2021, all Gail's branches were ...
. The acquisition was led by his firm Risk Partners Capital, alongside the investment company Melcorpo. The new owners announced a plan to invest more than £15 million in order to double the size of the business in the next three years. In April 2025, a 14th venue was opened in
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
, four years after
Kirklees Council Kirklees Council, also known as Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. As a metropolitan borough council it provides the majority of local government ser ...
loaned Kingsgate Leisure owners WD Limited £7 million to develop a cinema in the shopping centre.


Future locations

A venue in
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...
was announced in 2020, as part of the 'Tollgate Village' development project in Tollgate West, near
Stanway, Essex Stanway is a suburb, civil parish & village in the City of Colchester, Colchester district, in Essex, England near Colchester. 'Stanway' is an Anglo-Saxon name for the 'stone way' of the Roman road, now the A12 road (England), A12. In 2021 the ...
. The cinema was originally slated to be finished by the end of 2021. In June 2021 the directors of the firm responsible for the development said that they "hope to commence building next year 022. As of June 2023, this development was expected to go ahead, although with no clear completion date set.


Locations


International expansion


In Europe

After its founding in 2007, the first venues that the company opened were not in the UK. Before the opening of its New Brighton venue in 2011, The Light had opened a cinema in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
in 2008, and another venue in Halle,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 2009. The Romanian part of the company dissolved in 2015, and Pullinger announced that the venue in Germany would be closed in July 2021 due to financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.


Saudi Arabia

In March 2019, The Light 'made history' by being awarded an operating license to exhibit films in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. This was done in cooperation with the London-based cinema consultancy firm The Big Picture, of which both Sullivan and Pullinger were founding partners, and in partnership with the FAHG Saudi fashion retail group run by Fawaz Alhokair, with venues being integrated into FAHG shopping centres. The brand name used in Saudi Arabia is ''MUVI'', and it is described as Saudi Arabia's first home-grown cinema brand, founded only a year after the Kingdom lifted a thirty-five year ban on cinemas. This sparked controversy due to the international backlash against Saudi Arabia following the government's murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. In response, Pullinger argued that the fallout from Khashoggi's murder was "for politicians to deal with", and that "Saudi Arabia represents the biggest opportunity for box office growth in the world". The Light claimed that it was one of only five companies to qualify for the Saudi government’s operating license at the time. By the end of 2021, MUVI cinemas had successfully opened 21 locations across the country, alongside investing in
film distribution Film distribution, also called film exhibition or film distribution and exhibition, is the process of making a film available for viewing to an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marketin ...
and
film production Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Light Cinemas Cinema chains in the United Kingdom British companies established in 2007 Companies based in London