New Cinema Opening Hailed as ‘Turning Point’ for Queensgate Shopping Centre

Management at the shopping centre expressed their anticipation that the inauguration of a new cinema would represent a “turning point” for its future prospects. Odeon is scheduled to launch its latest establishment within the Queensgate Shopping Centre, located in Peterborough, at 11:00 GMT on Sunday. This 25,000 sq ft cinema features over 600 seats distributed across eight screens and has generated 60 employment opportunities. Verity Swinscoe-Wigmore, who serves as the events and marketing co-ordinator at Queensgate, stated: “It’s very exciting and a lot of the retailers are excited for it to be here.” Warwick Davis, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in Harry Potter and Star Wars, is slated to perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening event on Sunday. This development comes after a challenging period for the centre, marked by the departure of several retailers, notably John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, and Next. Ms Swinscoe-Wigmore commented: “It’s definitely the new chapter of Queensgate; it’s definitely a turning point.” She added: “I think there’s a lot of excitement about it.” Invesco Retail Estate, the proprietor of Queensgate, had previously indicated that the introduction of Odeon would act as a “catalyst in its revival.” Suzie Welch, representing Odeon Cinemas Group, stated that establishing a presence at the “heart and soul” of the Queensgate community presented an appealing opportunity for the cinema chain. She further elaborated: “Cinema and film evokes such memories for people and, for us, it’s about how we bring people in, the experience we give.” For updates on Peterborough news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.