Express & Star

UK's oldest working cinema, Birmingham's Electric, closing down

The UK's oldest working cinema in Birmingham city centre is shutting down.

Published

The screening of Wicked Little Letters at 8.30pm on Thursday was the last showing at the Electric Birmingham in Station Street.

No future listings are featured on the independent cinema's website, with no explanation for the closure offered.

It was built in 1897 as a music hall and has been a cinema since 1909 when it started showing silent movies.

It was shut during the coronavirus pandemic from March 2020 until January 2022, when it reopened under new management after being bought by Kevin Markwick.

Staff have confirmed The Electric is to close for the foreseeable future.

There had been concerns for the the future of the historic cinema for several weeks.