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| The Odeon cinema in Ayr Photo: Ian Rainey |
The Odeon cinema in Ayr, which was purpose built 85 years ago, is to close on 5 June, it was announced today. In a message sent to customers, the owners apologised for the decision but said "it is no longer viable to operate the cinema."
Designed by the award-winning architect Thomas Braddock, the distinctive Art Deco building was one of three, with companion cinemas in Hamilton and Motherwell which closed some years ago. It opened with a screening of The Prisoner Of Zenda and is currently screening Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Odeon company, founded in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch and a part of the AMC group since 2016, was badly hit by Covid lockdowns and has continued to post a loss each year since.
The closure will leave Ayr, which has a population of just under 47,000 people, with no centrally located cinema. Efforts are underway to find jobs for staff in other Odeon cinemas, such as the one in nearby Kilmarnock, which will be staying open for the meantime.
