Light Cinemas

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Light Digital Cinemas was founded in 2007, to build all digital multiplexes, by former Warner Village property director John Sullivan and UGC/Cineworld development director Keith Pullinger. Its first multiplex opened in Bucharest in 2008. In 2009 Light announced they would be building their first UK multiplex in Wisbech then, in March 2014 that they would operate the new cinema in Bolton's Market Place Shopping Centre, which was due to open in early 2015. (Wisbech eventually opened in May 2014, albeit with only 6 screens; the final two, in the basement, which had been adversely affected by water seepage, opened in May 2015. Bolton opened in October 2016, with Light announcing plans for new cinemas at Sheffield, Thetford, Dundee, Stockport and Walsall.) In 2012, Cineworld acquired art-house circuit City Screen. The following year the company was instructed by the Competition Commission to sell one of its two cinemas in Cambridge, the Arts Picturehouse or the multiplex. Eventually, in January 2015, the multiplex was sold to Light Cinemas. In December 2016 Light opened their first non-multiplex, a three-screen cinema at Thetford, Norfolk.

In October 2024 the Light circuit was acquired by hospitality entrepreneur Luke Johnson’s Risk Capital Partners, with a co-investment from Melcorpo. The deal was supported by a new banking facility which was intended to enable the business to invest over £15m over the next two years, with the aim of doubling in size. It is not known whether John Sullivan and Keith Pullinger have a role under the new ownership. They had been backed by investment firm Connection Capital.

New Brighton [6] 2 December 2011
Wisbech [8 (originally 6)] 23 May 2014
Cambridge [9] [30 January 2015]
Walsall [8] 21 March 2016
Bolton [9] 7 October 2016
Sheffield [9] 14 April 2017
Stockport [10] 24 November 2017
Bradford [6] 11 May 2018
Addlestone [6] 5 October 2018
Sittingbourne [8] 28 May 2021
Banbury [7] 10 June 2022
Redhill [6] 16 June 2023