Abandoned UK cinema 'frozen in time' with rotting food stands and movie posters

18 February 2024 , 10:29

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Kyle outside the Showcase Cinema in Manchester (Image: Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

The eerie inside of an abandoned UK cinema 'frozen in time' with ‘rotting food stands’ and old movie posters has been revealed.

The haunting photographs of a beloved local cinema that was closed after the pandemic gave a snapshot of an eerie time. Kyle, a warehouse worker from Leeds, visited Showcase Cinema, Belle Vue in Manchester, which first opened its doors in October 1989.

The images he took were a chilling reminder of how Covid-19 impacted businesses across the UK, with many closing overnight, and the images have left social media users stunned.Walking around the cinema, Kyle found old movie posters, decaying food stalls and rows upon rows of dusty green seating which once played host to viewers after a Hollywood experience.

One of the screens at the Showcase Cinema in Manchester which was left abandoned after the lockdown (Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

He said: “Once inside I was taken back to the usual Showcase Cinema decor now sitting dormant and in complete silence. It really was an epic experience. The rooms were fairly intact; they were clean; almost as If someone had locked up for the day and not come back.

"I'd say a state of frozen in time eerie feeling, they weren't mouldy or rotting but they were indeed stuck in a time warp. I was quite surprised that so much remained from old movie posters to even the decaying food stalls and the iconic green-styled seating in the cinema rooms, complete with screens and even projector rooms."

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Movie posters left abandoned after lockdown (Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

Even cinema equipment had been left behind as the country rushed to isolate. Sharing the pictures with his 4364 followers on Instagram (@kyle_urbex), He set off a nostalgic spark among his followers.. One person couldn't believe how relevant the posters were saying: "Ha! The irony of the quiet place poster. This is awesome." Another person praised the incredible pictures saying: "Love your pics, your urban exploration are just amazing!".

The posters of coming cinema releases were left hanging off the walls (Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

The inside images showed how quickly the place had been abandoned (Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

Kyle said: "It was a surreal experience and I'm glad I managed to get inside and document the whole building. I really enjoyed the jazzy carpet and it still smelt of an old cinema, the whole experience was not one I will easily forget I didn't personally have any spooky experiences. I did however take a seat in the back row of one of the rooms and wonder to myself how on earth such a building could be left to close because of how iconic and well-loved it must have been by the locals!"

The foyer at the Showcase Cinema in Manchester lies empty (Jam Press/@kyle_urbex)

The cinema was so loved that in 2018, when plans were put in place to close the outdated space, locals overturned the decision and it was to survive another two years. But because of Covid-19, the building was permanently shut down and has since been demolished, with a secondary school to take its place.

Graeme Murray