Odeon cinema on Gloucester Green is set to close in January and be replaced by a £37m council project. Oxford City Council will demolish the building, which has operated as a cinema since 1936, to replace it with a hotel and community space.
The ‘aparthotel’ will include 145 rooms, a bar, and a café, and will have windows on all sides, which Oxford City Council say will improve the atmosphere of Gloucester Green and meet modern building standards, reducing its environmental impact. A Council spokesperson told Cherwell the project will take around three years to complete.
According to the City Council, Odeon made it clear it did not want to renew its lease after 24 years at the location and when it became obvious that no new tenants wanted to take over the cinema, the City Council launched a procurement exercise in September 2022 to determine the best future use for the site. Despite being invited to participate, a spokesperson told Cherwell, Odeon declined to submit a proposal for a new use for the building. The redevelopment plan was finally approved in October 2024.
The City Council says the “much-needed” development will bolster the tourism industry by attracting overnight visitors. The council cited a 2015 report from Experience Oxfordshire to Cherwell that found overnight visitors spend 1.5 times more than day-trippers while only 17% of Oxford’s 6.6 million annual visitors stay overnight.
Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy told Cherwell: “More overnight visitors will increase the number of people using our restaurants, bars, and theatres, helping local businesses thrive. Gloucester Green is already a thriving successful place because of the market, and the community centre will help expand on that success.”
Hollingsworth also highlighted Oxford has other cinemas such as the Curzon at Westgate Oxford, Ultimate Picture Palace in Cowley Road, Phoenix Picturehouse in Walton Street, and Vue at the Kassam Stadium – which in fact lies outside of the Oxford ring-road.
Many residents, however, point out that these alternatives are prohibitively expensive and argue the proposal reflects a broader trend of prioritising tourism over local needs. A resident said Odeon’s decision to not renew their lease stems from the council making Oxford “pretty much inaccessible.” Another resident added: “The residents of Oxford are slowly being pushed out of the city, so tourists can invade it.”
An Oxford student told Cherwell: “I liked the Odeon because it was affordable and central and I never went to other cinemas because they were too far away or expensive.”
The plan has received 97 formal objections from residents, who expressed concern in light of recent entertainment venue closures, including Kiss Bar and ATIK. Despite this, no members of the public spoke in objection at the planning meeting.
Cherwell contacted Odeon for comment but did not receive an answer.
