Beacon Cinema, Loughborough

The Beacon Cinema building in Loughborough is one of the town’s most distinctive landmarks and a fine example of 1930s cinema architecture. It originally opened on 21 November 1936 as the Odeon Theatre, part of Oscar Deutsch’s rapidly expanding Odeon cinema chain. The building was designed by Arthur J. Price of the famous Harry Weedon architectural practice, which created many of Britain’s best-known Odeon cinemas.

The cinema was built in striking Art Deco modernist style, with a curved frontage clad in coloured glazed faience tiles, giving it a sleek, futuristic appearance that stood out on Loughborough’s streets. When it opened, the Odeon could seat around 1,600 people, with stalls and a large balcony, making it one of the town’s major entertainment venues. For more than 30 years it served as Loughborough’s principal cinema.

In December 1967, the building was sold to the Classic Cinemas chain and renamed the Classic Cinema. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, it briefly experimented with bingo sessions alongside film screenings. By 1969 it had become the Vogue Social Club, before films returned for a short period under new management.

Cinema use finally ended in January 1974, marking the end of nearly four decades of film exhibition. The building then became a full-time bingo hall, operating for many years under the Mecca Bingo brand before later becoming Beacon Bingo, the name by which many local people came to know it.

In recognition of its architectural and historic importance, the building was awarded Grade II listed status in 2007. Beacon Bingo closed in March 2021 following financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the building was purchased by The Junction Church, which has announced plans to restore and reuse the former cinema as a community venue, securing its future as a major landmark in Loughborough once again.