National Science and Media Museum’s Imax Cinema Set to Reopen Before Christmas

The National Science and Media Museum has announced that its Imax cinema will resume operations in time for Christmas, preceding the venue’s complete reopening in January. The Bradford institution has been closed since last summer for a “once-in-a-generation” refurbishment, timed to coincide with the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2025. The Imax is scheduled to welcome back film enthusiasts on 20 December, featuring screenings of the Disney sequel Mufasa: The Lion King, ahead of the broader reopening next year. A spokesperson indicated that this reopening signifies the beginning of an “extraordinary journey for both the museum and our community.” The main museum facility is slated to reopen on 11 January, in collaboration with animation studio Aardman, which will present Wallace & Gromit films and conduct model-making workshops. A temporary exhibition titled David Hockney: Pieced Together will debut on 15 January, highlighting the artist’s groundbreaking use of film and photography. Additional new features include a £6 million project named Sound and Vision, comprising two new galleries that will allow visitors to experience being radio presenters and learn about sound engineering. Furthermore, a new passenger lift and enhancements to the main entrance are also part of the improvements. Museum director Jo Quinton-Tulloch commented: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be reopening the museum with the backdrop of an amazing Bradford 2025 programme, making this a once-in-a-lifetime moment.” Helen Featherstone, director for Northern England at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “In 1995, the museum was one of the first transformational projects in Yorkshire that received funding from the Heritage Fund, and after 30 years we have supported the museum again with the new Sound and Vision galleries.”