Vue, the UK’s largest cinema operator, has reaffirmed its presence at Norwich’s Castle Quarter by signing a new 20-year lease for its eight-screen cinema. This long-term commitment follows significant refurbishments, including the installation of luxurious recliner seating and an updated foyer, aimed at enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Vue’s renewed lease underscores Castle Quarter’s successful repositioning as Norwich’s leading destination for social, leisure, and lifestyle activities, while maintaining its traditional retail appeal. The cinema remains a cornerstone of the leisure offering at Castle Quarter, complemented by other popular entertainment options like Boom Battle Bar, Putt Putt Social, and Escape Hunt. The variety of activities and dining options available has made Castle Quarter a popular hub for visitors to watch, play, eat, and shop, further strengthening its reputation in central Norwich.
The repositioning strategy has paid off, with the destination seeing marked improvements across key performance metrics, including footfall, dwell time, car park usage, and tenant turnover. Over 75% of Castle Quarter’s operators have reported year-on-year growth, reflecting the success of the destination’s pivot toward social and leisure experiences.
Will Ashdown, Asset Manager at RivingtonHark, the asset managers for Castle Quarter, highlighted Vue’s importance to the destination: “Vue has long been a central part of what Castle Quarter has to offer visitors, and as such it is fantastic to see the chain commit to the destination for a further 20 years. This lease and investment in the cinema upgrades highlight not only the trading success Vue has seen at Castle Quarter, but also its confidence in the repositioning that we have successfully implemented over recent years. Castle Quarter is Norwich’s leading social, leisure and lifestyle destination, and we look forward to continuing to work with Vue to ensure it remains the go-to choice for the city’s cinemagoers.”
Dave Windross, Head of Property at Vue UK & Ireland, shared his enthusiasm for the future: “We’re delighted to have committed to a further 20 years at Castle Quarter following the extensive refurbishment of Vue Norwich, working hand-in-hand with asset managers RivingtonHark. The recent improvements include adding more than 800 luxury leather recliner seats and a ‘new-look’ foyer to ensure we continue to provide our customers with the very best big screen experience.”
Castle Quarter, which covers 387,000 sq. ft. and includes one of the city’s main car parks with 800 spaces, has solidified its status as a top destination for social and leisure activities in Norwich. The addition of independent dining options and the success of leisure offerings such as Vue have contributed to a dynamic and enjoyable visitor experience.
The retained agents for Castle Quarter are Roche and Jamieson Mills.
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