It was a case of ‘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 opened to the public.

Council Leader, Cllr Chris Read, marked the official public launch on Friday 6th September with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. He was 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.

“Forge Island brings a much-needed leisure offer for the whole borough, and together with the new Travelodge hotel and restaurants, it will bring more visitors into the town centre, boost our local economy and help restore a sense of pride in our town centre.”

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 been delivered by the Council in partnership with Muse, transforming 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.