Former Coventry cinema to become a music venue

The former ABC cinema in Coventry city centre is set to become a new music venue.

The Hertford Street building, formerly known as the ABC Cinema, first opened in 1973, replacing the old ABC Empire Cinema. In recent years the unit became a sports shop.

Now Phil Rooney, the manager of Empire, has signed an agreement for lease with the Coventry City Council that will mean the venue can move to the new space which has a larger capacity.

The next steps will involve securing planning permission and doing the alterations both inside and outside the venue.

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for Jobs and Regeneration, said: ‘It feels a bit odd to be announcing news like this now, when we are all facing the challenge of doing our bit to limit the spread of coronavirus. But, if you believe that we will get back to normal and I certainly hope and believe that we will – we all need to be ready for that too.

‘We are working hard to support local businesses with practical help now. But we are also ensuring we can support business aspirations for the future too. Existing and new businesses will be important contributors to a successful local economy as we emerge out of this still fast changing situation.

‘Phil has certainly got a challenge on his hands. We started on this long journey before we’d even heard of coronavirus. But if anyone can deliver this I believe he can. It might be a bit behind the timescales we discussed in the video but we couldn’t meet up to do that again! I hope even in these dark days people feel this is something to look forward to.’