Odeon Cinema, Canterbury

February 2024 | England | Extant

Canterbury’s Odeon is a rather nice Art Deco structure that first opened as a picture house in 1933. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer theatre organ. Later on it was modernised and the hall was subdivided into a higher and lower screen. It closed down in 2020 during the covid era. In 2022, it was announced that it would not reopen. Since then, the place has been derelict and has now suffered several fires and vandalism from teens. It is scheduled for demolition.

The Explore:

This was a site that I had wanted to explore for quite a while but as is the nature with cinemas, it was a bit difficult to find an access point. However in February 2024 I was tipped off from a friend that someone had been in. So I set off and scouted, looking and eventually I found the access point in a very unobtrusive area that you wouldn’t think to check.

The inside was definitely in a state as local kids had been in and trashed the screens. Which is frankly typical of the local pond life in the area. Despite that, it was still a nice explore. The Art Deco features had sadly been covered over by false ceilings in most areas but in the upper screen area, it was still mostly visible. Enjoy the photos.

Lobby:

Screen One:

Screen Two: