Rotherham’s first cinema in more than 30 years opens at Forge Island

It’s ‘lights, camera, action!’ at Rotherham’s first movie theatre in more than 30 years, as The Arc Cinema at the town’s flagship Forge Island leisure destination – which we are delivering in partnership with Rotherham Council – opens to the public.

James Pitt from Muse joined Council Leader, Cllr Chris Read, to mark the official public launch on Friday 6^th September with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. They were also joined on the red carpet by the new cinema General Manager, Laura Vickers, and invited families from the Council’s foster care service who were treated to a special VIP tour of the cinema and presented with free tickets to enjoy a future film screening of their choice.

Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr Chris Read, said:

“This has been many years in the making, and I am proud to be standing here today in this fantastic cinema space, seeing families coming to watch the latest blockbuster, right here in the heart of Rotherham. We are passionate about seeing the town develop and grow in the years ahead, and this is just the start. The Arc cinema is the anchor project in our Investing in Rotherham’s Future town centre regeneration programme, with our Forge Island scheme demonstrating our continued commitment to delivering for the people of Rotherham and surrounding area.

The new independent cinema features two flagship Hypersense screens, including Dolby Atmos sound, a giant screen and a 4K Laser projector – which creates a fully immersive experience. Additionally, The Arc offers six medium-sized screens that provide an intimate atmosphere for smaller showings – perfect for the cinema’s popular events like ‘Silver Screen’ and ‘Kids Club’ which will be launching in Rotherham.

The Arc Cinema, which has 12 locations spanning across the UK and Ireland with three more in the works, has built a reputation for offering a big screen experience that combines both luxury and affordability. The cinema is a major part of the family-friendly offer at Forge Island which has transformed a once derelict former industrial site into a landmark leisure destination for the town. The design of the new Rotherham cinema is inspired by the strong industrial heritage of the site which was historically home to a foundry and an iron works.

Local people can also enjoy more celebrations to mark the new cinema opening with a day of free entertainment and activities at Forge Island on Saturday 14^th September.  The new public and commercial spaces will be animated with live music, local artists and street performers, with an opportunity for people of all ages to explore the new landscaped waterside and striking new pedestrian bridge which provides a vital link between the flagship development and the town centre.