Kilmarnock's Odeon is set to reopen next week, cinema bosses have confirmed.
Movie buffs in the town have had to wait almost five months to get their film fix again after the country went into lockdown in March.
Scottish cinemas have been allowed to reopen from July 15 as part of the easing of restrictions across the country.
But the Kilmarnock branch of the Odeon did not reopen when the announcement was made last month.
Many film fans had feared that the cinema would not reopen in the town.
But today it has been confirmed by the cinema's manager that it will reopen from Friday, August 21.
Stephen Dempster has also said that lots of changes have been made to make the cinema experience safe while we live with the threat of coronavirus.
Mr Dempster said: "We are delighted to announce this Odeon will reopen its doors from August 21, and you can book tickets now.
"We have made lots of changes to create a new safer cinema experience for you, and we look forward to welcoming you back."
Odeon bosses told us that they've taken a number of measures to improve their cinemas during the pandemic.
To ensure guests can enjoy a safer cinema experience in the most controlled environment, Odeon has worked with the UK Cinema Association and UK Government to introduce enhanced health and safety measures to each site.
The safety measures include:
Safer Buying
- Contactless experience, including booking online and contactless ticket checks in cinema and contactless till payments for purchasing food and drinks
- Range of ‘Grab & Go’ pre-packaged food and drinks including a bottled drink, Butterkist popcorn and a bag of sweets to improve speed of service
A Safer Space
- Limited seats on sale for each show and guaranteed unoccupied seats between guests to meet social distancing requirements, whilst enabling family groups and social bubbles to sit together
- Staggered show start times to reduce queues, with safe queuing measures in place such as floor markings and cinema host support
- Newly serviced air conditioning that ensures fresh air is delivered into all screens
Enhanced cleaning by well-trained teams
- More frequent cleaning routines on all high contact areas of the cinema guest journey
- Guest sanitiser stations offering complimentary sanitising gels and wipes
- Teams diligently trained on safety and hygiene measures, equipped with PPE, including face coverings and gloves
