Lights, camera, action: How the Strand Cinema's 90th birthday present, a £6.5m revamp, is set to turn Northern Ireland's last remaining art deco picture palace into the new home of art in East Belfast

Restoration work started today (Tuesday) at the Strand, the iconic Holywood Road cinema that has dazzled generations of star-struck moviegoers since it first opened in 1935.

Now celebrating its 90th birthday, the building is being overhauled to include state-of-the-art cinema facilities, a licensed café, creative learning studios and new performance spaces within its current balcony screen and front stall areas.

There will also be an interactive exhibition where guests can experience the cinema as it was in inter-war Belfast, as well as learning about the Strand’s unique place among the city’s other picture palaces of the era.

Original architectural features, including its famous façade, entrance and foyer, will all be retained, along with improvements to disability access and multi-purpose spaces available for community and charity hire.

The building, which originally opened as one-screen cinema, has also been a music venue and an arts hub over the years.

A little over 10 years ago, it was rescued from the verge of closure by the team currently running it, who formed a charity to look after the building and rebranded it Strand Arts Centre.

The cinema shut down last year to facilitate the £6.5m revamp. The team behind it are currently holding screenings in a pop-up unit in nearby Connswater Shopping Centre, including successful seasons of movies aimed at pensioners and kids, while the overhauled Strand is set to open its doors again in summer 2026.

Said the venue’s chief executive, Mimi Turtle: “The Strand has always been a treasure for east Belfast – a symbol of community, creativity and shared memories, spanning 90 years.

"This refurbishment ensures that its legacy endures, blending rich heritage with a bright future that celebrates the arts for generations to come.”

The revamp is being funded by the UK government, Belfast City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside corporate and public sponsors.

Belfast Lord Mayor, Micky Murray, stated it is “positive to kick off 2025 with work to restore one of [the city’s] most striking and beloved buildings”.

He said: "The council is pleased to have helped Strand Arts Centre secure the funding needed to preserve this treasured asset for future generations, and to deliver a project that will boost our arts sector and the local community, though outreach programmes and job and training opportunities.

“Finding sustainable uses for our city’s built heritage is so important, and other council-led projects, including the nearby Templemore Baths, show what’s possible with vision and commitment.

"I look forward to catching a movie in the new look Strand when it reopens next year.”

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Northern Ireland director, Paul Mullan, stated: “Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations, and this treasured 90-year-old art deco building is integral to East Belfast’s social history.

“We’re grateful to National Lottery players who are contributing to its revitalisation as an accessible and sustainable venue – a place to gather, be entertained, learn about our local cinema heritage and connect with the Strand stories.”