The new venue for film lovers is taking over the space formerly occupied by Showcase
16:21, 08 Aug 2025Updated 16:21, 08 Aug 2025
The new Odeon in the former Showcase Cinema unit in Cabot Circus has been delayed until 2026.(Image: Urban Edge Architects)
The opening of a major new cinema in central Bristol is set to be delayed until early next year. An Odeon cinema was expected to open in Cabot Circus, on the site of the former Showcase Cinema at the top of the shopping centre, in 2025.
However, an announcement from Cabot Circus owner Hammerson regarding plans to build a huge 500-bed student accommodation tower on land in front of the centre’s car park appeared to suggest the cinema would not be welcoming filmgoers until early 2026.
A huge new M&S, on the 3-floor site formerly occupied by House of Fraser, is due to open in autumn this year. “The plans are part of our ongoing commitment to Bristol city centre and follow a programme of investment into Cabot Circus,” a spokesperson for Hammerson said.
“This includes the introduction of major new leisure, food and drink additions such as King Pins Bowl and Treetop Golf, as well as the transformational arrival of M&S later this year and Odeon in early 2026. There is more to come, and everything aligns with our vision to curate a buzzing, multi-use destination in the heart of Bristol.”
The new Odeon will occupy a smaller site than the previous cinema, sharing the space formerly occupied by Showcase with a restaurant and another “leisure operator”, according to planning documents. The identities of the brands behind the new restaurant and leisure space are yet to be revealed.
The new Odeon is part of a massive regeneration of Cabot Circus and surrounding areas. As well as the planned student accommodation complex, Hammerson is also revamping the Quakers Friars area, with a large new health centre one potential usage for the space currently occupied by the Apple Store on Philadelphia Street.
The front of the Showcase Cinema just before it closed(Image: Bristol Live)
The Apple Store is due to shut its doors tomorrow (August 9). When open, the new cinema will compete with another Odeon on Union Street, around the corner from Cabot Circus.
Showcase’s Cinema de Lux was the biggest cinema in Bristol until it closed in November 2023. Showcase bosses attributed the closure to a breakdown in negotiations with Cabot Circus management over a new lease.
A year later, in November 2024, Odeon was confirmed to have taken over the space, with an opening originally pencilled in for 2025. Since the Cabot closure, Showcase has continued to operate a large cinema at Avonmeads in St Philips.
With Odeon set to open a much smaller cinema in the space, it remains to be seen whether the cinema will be part of Odeon’s main brand or their more upmarket Luxe offering. Luxe cinemas typically feature more space per moviegoer than normal Odeon cinemas, with fully reclining seats and fancier food offerings.
Today (Friday) a spokesperson for Odeon confirmed the Cabot Circus location was “likely” to open in 2026.