More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Two cinema screens in Kent will be among the first to be opened by ODEON.
The cinema chain will open ten screens around the country on Saturday July 4, but Kent will have to wait until Friday July 10 when the chain opens screens in Chatham and Tunbridge Wells.
ODEON says new measures have been put in place to deliver a "safer cinema experience", which has been carefully designed to meet Government guidelines and to give cinema-goers and staff reassurance.
Tickets are on sale from June 25 for big screen classics including 1917; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, re-released in 4k for its 40th anniversary; Sonic the Hedgehog and Onwards, Little Women, Bad Boys for Life, Dirty Dancing and The Greatest Showman.
A further 88 UK cinemas set to reopen by July 16 - although no other Kent screens are among them.
Safety measures include online booking, plus contactless ticket checks and till payments for purchasing food and drinks.
There is also a range of ‘Grab & Go’ pre-packaged food and drinks including a bottled drink, Butterkist popcorn and a bag of sweets to improve speed of service.
Limited seats are on sale to guarantee unoccupied seats between guests, whilst enabling family groups and social bubbles to sit together.
There are staggered show times to reduce queues, with safe queuing measures in place, and newly serviced air conditioning ensures fresh air is delivered into cinemas.
The chain has also introduced an enhanced cleaning regime, and guests are able to use new sanitiser stations.
Staff have also been trained on safety measures, and equipped with PPE.
Carol Welch, Managing Director UK & IRE said: “We are excited to confirm that from 4 July, our UK cinemas will begin reopening. We’ve carefully planned every step of our guest journey and put safety measures in place that will enable our highly trained colleagues to provide a controlled and safer cinema experience for all our guests.
“New measures include social distancing in our auditoriums and foyers, additional cleaning regimes, and a request to book tickets online prior to arrival. We would like to thank our colleagues and guests for their patience during this period, and we can’t wait to welcome guests back to big screen entertainment and a safer cinema experience.”
Summer’s big blockbusters are also just around the corner, beginning with Mulan and Tenet at the end of July alongside other new releases including Dreambuilders and Unhinged.
