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THE LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED.

Company type	Limited Company
Industry	Entertainment
Genre	Cinema, Films, Leisure, Restaurant, Bar
Founded	2007
Founders	John Sullivan Keith Pullinger
Headquarters	London, England, UK
Number of locations	13 Cinemas (2024)
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	James Morris (Chief Executive)
Services	Cinema, Bowling, Climbing, Leisure, Dining, Membership
Owner	Luke Johnson (businessman)
Website	https://www.thelight.co.uk

The Light Entertainment Group (stylised as The Light) is a British independent cinema and entertainment chain, offering a unique mix of film, leisure activities, and dining. With a focus on community engagement and shared experiences, The Light combines a premium cinema experience with a wide range of entertainment options under one roof.

Brand and Positioning

The Light differentiates itself by reimagining entertainment, blending cinema, leisure, and dining with interactive experiences in vibrant, community-focused spaces. Unlike conventional multiplexes, The Light is designed to be a hub for social gatherings, offering an inclusive environment that appeals to families, friends, and local communities.

With a customer-first approach, The Light focuses on attentive service, diverse film content, exciting leisure activities, and high-quality food and drink, ensuring an exceptional entertainment experience for all guests. They are proud to champion accessible cinema with an emphasis on screenings featuring audio description, subtitles, and that cater to the needs of those with Dementia, Autism, or sensory sensitivity.

History

Founded in 2007 by former Cineworld director Keith Pullinger and former Warner Village Cinemas director John Sullivan, The Light was established as an alternative to traditional multiplexes, emphasising a welcoming and customer-focused approach. The first UK location opened in New Brighton in 2011, and as of 2024, the company operates 13 venues across the country, with plans for further expansion.

The cinema chain made national headlines in 2015, when they successfully raised the £5.2 million needed to purchase a nine-screen multiplex in Cambridge from rival company Cineworld. The latter had been forced to sell the venue following a Competition Commission ruling.

Expansion and Growth

In October 2024, The Light was acquired by hospitality entrepreneur Luke Johnson, who had worked with Pizza Express and Gail's. The acquisition was led by his firm Risk Partners Capital, alongside the investment company Melcorpo. The new owners announced a plan to invest more than £15 million in order to double the size of the business in the next three years.

The Light has also operated in international markets, including Bulgaria, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.

Future Locations

Plans to open a venue in Huddersfield got off the ground in January 2021, after developer WD Limited was loaned £7 million by Kirklees Council. In October 2024, it was revealed that the opening date would be around Easter 2025. The Huddersfield venue is projected to be the largest venue in the chain, with six screens of around 150 seats.

Concept and Offering

At its core, The Light is a cinema & entertainment company, providing not only mainstream and independent films but also a variety of leisure experiences, including:

• Ten-pin bowling
• Mini-golf
• Climbing walls
• Axe-Throwing
• Interactive darts
• Shuffleboard
• Curling
• Retro arcade games
• Karaoke

The cinema chain offers screenings of both mainstream and independent films in a luxurious yet accessible environment, ensuring high-quality presentation and comfort while maintaining affordable ticket prices. The venues are designed as entertainment hubs, incorporating a Kitchen & Bar that serves a diverse selection of food and drinks, making The Light a social destination beyond just film screenings. Many locations also feature additional entertainment facilities such as bowling, karaoke, climbing walls, and retro arcades, providing an all-in-one venue for leisure and socialising.

To enhance customer engagement, The Light offers a myLight Premiere membership, which allows subscribers to enjoy unlimited films and cinema trips for a flat monthly fee, alongside various loyalty incentives and exclusive promotions.

Community Engagement

The Light positions itself as more than just a cinema, integrating into local communities through partnerships, charity events, and bespoke entertainment offerings tailored to regional audiences. By adapting each venue’s entertainment mix to suit local preferences, The Light ensures a personalised and engaging experience for all visitors.

Customer Experience

The brand is committed to delivering a fun, inclusive, and engaging experience, ensuring that every visitor feels welcomed and valued. Regular events and screenings cater to a broad audience, including:

• Family-friendly screenings
• Subtitled and audio-described films for accessibility
• Dementia-friendly and Relaxed screenings for neurodiverse audiences
• Seasonal and themed film events

The Light Cambridge is the only venue in The Light network to feature an IMAX screen, providing an immersive, cutting-edge viewing option for film lovers.

Programming

The Light offers a diverse and carefully curated film programme that appeals to a wide range of audiences. In addition to screening the latest blockbuster films, The Light is committed to showcasing independent British and world cinema, arthouse selections, and documentaries.

Curated strands allow guests to navigate the diverse programme by interest, ensuring a tailored viewing experience. The programming also includes:

• Classic film revivals, bringing beloved favourites back to the big screen
• Event cinema, featuring live broadcasts of theatre, opera, concerts, and sporting events
• Family-friendly screenings, offering a welcoming environment for all ages
• Special interest screenings, including Q&As, film festivals, and community-led events
• Accessible screenings, such as subtitled, audio-described, autism-friendly, and dementia-friendly showings

Each venue’s programme is tailored to reflect the preferences and interests of its local audience, ensuring a personalised and community-driven cinematic experience.

Future Outlook

With the evolving landscape of cinema and leisure, The Light continues to innovate, expanding its entertainment offerings and strengthening its presence as a leading destination for shared experiences. By combining high-quality cinema with diverse leisure activities, The Light is shaping the future of entertainment in the UK.

Locations

The Light is expanding its network of locations across the UK, each providing a distinctive mix of premium cinema and diverse leisure activities. With a focus on versatility and inclusivity, The Light continues to grow its presence, offering something for everyone at each unique venue.

International Expansion

In Europe

After its founding in 2007, the first venues that the company opened were not in the UK. Before the opening of its New Brighton venue in 2011, The Light had opened a cinema in Bucharest, Romania in 2008, and another venue in Halle, Germany in 2009. The Romanian part of the company dissolved in 2015, and Pullinger announced that the venue in Germany would be closed in July 2021 due to financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Saudi Arabia

In March 2019, The Light Cinemas 'made history' by being awarded an operating license to exhibit films in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This was done in cooperation with the London-based cinema consultancy firm The Big Picture, of which both Sullivan and Pullinger were founding partners, and in partnership with the FAHG Saudi fashion retail group run by Fawaz Alhokair, with venues being integrated into FAHG shopping centres. The brand name used in Saudi Arabia is MUVI, and it is described as Saudi Arabia's first home-grown cinema brand, founded only a year after the Kingdom lifted a thirty-five year ban on cinemas.

This sparked controversy due to the international backlash against Saudi Arabia following the government's murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. In response, Pullinger argued that the fallout from Khashoggi's murder was "for politicians to deal with", and that "Saudi Arabia represents the biggest opportunity for box office growth in the world". The Light claimed that it was one of only five companies to qualify for the Saudi government’s operating license at the time. By the end of 2021, MUVI cinemas had successfully opened 21 locations across the country, alongside investing in film distribution and film production.

References

1. "The Light Cinemas (Holdings) Limited overview". Companies House. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
2. ^ "Indie cinema chain to challenge UK's 'homogenous' giants". The Telegraph. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
3. ^ "Popcorn at the ready: Here's when The Light cinema opens in Broadway". The Telegraph and Argus. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
4. ^ "New Brighton new cinema The Light gets RNLI-themed opening night". Liverpool Echo. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
5. "Jobs saved as Cineworld sells its Cambridge branch to international chain The Light". Cambridgeshire Live. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
6. "Luke Johnson leads takeover of cinema operator The Light". The Independent. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
7. "Kingsgate cinema plan WILL go ahead thanks to £7m Kirklees Council loan". Yorkshire Live. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
8. "Inside Kingsgate Leisure as countdown begins to opening of The Light cinema and re-imagined entertainments venue". Huddersfield Hub. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
9. "The Light Cinema in Addlestone opens its doors to the public". Surrey Live. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
10. "New cinema set to open in Banbury's town centre". Oxford Mail. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
11. "REVIEW: The Light Cinema opens at Bolton's Market Place Shopping Centre". The Bolton News. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
12. "The Light opens new cinema and entertainment venue in Redhill". The Business Magazine. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
13. "New cinema, The Light, opens on The Moor". Sheffield Live. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
14. "Light Cinemas Sheffield". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
15. "Sittingbourne sees The Light as new cinema prepares to open". Kent Online. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
16. "Take a look around Stockport's brand new Redrock cinema". Manchester Evening News. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
17. "A look behind the scenes at Thetford's new cinema". Eastern Daily Press. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
18. "Light Cinema to open in Walsall next month as part of £12 million development". Birmingham Live. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
19. "Light Cinemas Wisbech". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
20. "Neptune hands over cinema for fit-out". Place North West. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
21. "The Light Cinemas (Romania) Limited overview". Companies House. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
22. "Light Cinemas: Home". Light Cinemas. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
23. "UK Company, The Light Cinemas, in conjunction with The Big Picture, Is Awarded One of Few Operating Licenses in Saudi Arabia". Celluloid Junkie. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
24. "UK indie multiplex chain The Light Cinemas to expand into Saudi Arabia". Screen Daily. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
25. "Word of mouth is driving cinemagoing in Saudi, says Muvi Cinemas executive". Screen Daily. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

• Cinema chains in the United Kingdom
• British companies established in 2007
• Companies based in London
• Entertainment venues
• Leisure companies of the United Kingdom
• Tenpin bowling in the United Kingdom