New leisure anchor ODEON opens in Queensgate Peterborough

Queensgate Peterborough has announced that ODEON Cinemas has opened the doors to its first-ever site in Cambridgeshire, forming a key anchor for the scheme’s £60m leisure extension.

ODEON Cinemas has opened a 27,500 sq ft, eight-screen cinema on Queensgate’s third floor. The regional debut, which includes IMAX, boasts a state-of-the-art immersive experience for the centre’s visitors, and to maximise its family-friendly appeal, delivers a hybrid of seating options at different prices for its 600-seater space. Boasting a theme of luxury throughout, the cinema’s technology is powered by DOLBY, giving the ultimate surround-sound experience with high-resolution screens. The cinema also provides an extensive and elevated food and beverage offer, including made-for-cinema hot meals and classics such as popcorn and chocolate treats.

The cinema is a new anchor within Queensgate, part of the £60 million invested by the destination’s owner Invesco into creating a landmark leisure extension, which is already home to Putt and Play, the indoor mini-golf brand operated by Hollywood Bowl. There is now significant demand within the remaining space, targeted at popular F&B operators to complete the leisure experience, and enriching its day-to-night appeal for the catchment. The leisure hub has been conceived to support Queensgate’s retail offer, which includes the likes of Primark and H&M, and the upcoming arrival of Frasers and Sports Direct, which is due to open next year.

Ed Ginn, Director of Investment Management at Invesco Real Estate, said: “Bringing a cinema to Queensgate has been at the top of our agenda, with our focus on enhancing the overall experience within the destination and providing that pull factor for the community that is currently lacking in the city centre. We knew integrating a cinema however would take significant investment, something we wanted to put into action because we really believe in the importance of Queensgate for Peterborough, and the region. ODEON is a great addition to the leisure space, driving forward our vision of crafting a hub rich in visits day-to-night, seven days a week, to support and strengthen our wider retail and F&B offer.”

Suzie Welch, Managing Director at ODEON UKI, added: “We are very excited to have brought our first-class cinematic experience to Cambridgeshire for the first time with the launch of ODEON Luxe Peterborough and are very pleased to have partnered with Queensgate in making this exciting new cinema a reality. We can’t wait to welcome guests to ODEON Luxe Peterborough, which we are launching with a very special opening week celebration, and are confident that they will find themselves immersed in the magic of our ultimate silver screen experience.”

This announcement follows the news that Beaverbrooks has recently opened its new store in Queensgate, having invested £1.5 million into its relocation and major refurbishment. The new 4,324 sq ft store features a wide selection of luxury and designer brands, including a new TAG Heuer boutique, marking the only one of its kind in the area and reinforcing the position of Queensgate as a leading retail and leisure destination.

CBRE, Time Retail Partners, and Sovereign Centros from CBRE advised Invesco Real Estate.