Hollywood to Hucknall: Town's popular Arc Cinema celebrates its fifth birthday
The Arc Cinema is celebrating five years of entertaining the town.
This month marks five years since the High Street venue first opened its doors at the old Byron building.
And from day one, staff say the cinema has been met with unwavering love and support from the local community.
Reopening the venue as a cinema for the first time since The Byron closed back in 2006, the Arc was proud to be the first new cinema to launch in the UK following the pandemic.
Since then, it has navigated multiple challenges – including lockdowns, reduced capacities, production delays from the Hollywood Writers strike, the rise of streaming services, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Yet throughout it all, loyal customers continued to show up, and for that, staff remain deeply grateful.
The past five years have been packed with unforgettable moments with the venue hosting exciting fan events featuring Ghostbusters, Batmobiles, DeLoreans, dinosaurs and even a full cockpit parked right outside.
Bringing the biggest blockbusters to Hucknall, the cinema has screened everything from James Bond: No Time to Die, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Barbie, and Oppenheimer, to musicals like Wicked and Wonka.
It even hosted a world premiere, proudly giving a platform to local filmmakers.
And looking ahead, the team is buzzing with anticipation for major upcoming releases — including the new Superman movie.
A key figure in the Arc’s story is Kelly Golding, who originally applied for a part-time role and now serves as the manager.
She said: “The support we get from the local communities is outstanding – we even have customers bringing staff birthday cards and presents.
"We have something really special here in Hucknall.”
Mark Gallagher, who was cinema manager when it first opened, and now works as marketing manager for all Arc Cinema sites across the UK and Ireland, also reflected on the journey:
He said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to have been involved in the opening of the cinema.
"It continues to be a privilege to help promote it.
"Stepping back from a customer-facing role – which I really enjoyed – was made so much easier knowing I was handing it over to someone like Kelly, who loves this cinema, and Hucknall, just as much as I do.
"A huge thank you goes to the incredible team, several of whom have been there since day one.
"From serving mountains of popcorn to creating a welcoming space for all, their passion and dedication are the heart of the cinema.
“And of course, the biggest thanks goes to the customers for making it their go-to destination for film and for sharing in moments of laughter, tears, and excitement in front of the big screen.
"Here’s to five amazing years and to many more still to come.
"The magic of the movies lives on at the Arc in Hucknall.”