The new venue – to be known simply as Curzon Chelsea – will be inside the redeveloped The Gaumont building and is scheduled to open as early as October.

The original cinema, which had been in place since 1983, closed in 2018. Since then, the £235m redevelopment by Cadogan Estates has transformed this slice of the King’s Road into cultural and retail hub, with entertainment spaces and apartments. The Citizen attended the opening celebrations last July.

Within The Gaumont is a vast space that Curzon describes as a “multi-purpose environment” for film, art and live culture. At more than 20,000 sq ft, the flagship is intended to be far more than a traditional cinema. Alongside a 300-seat Dolby Atmos auditorium, designed for premieres and large-scale screenings, the venue will include podcast and recording studios, flexible screening rooms, event spaces, a gallery café and bar, and dedicated production facilities.

CGI impression of the new Curzon’s main screen auditorium

Curzon chairman and chief executive Philip Knatchbull said the project represented “everything we have been envisioning for the future of Curzon”.

“Curzon Chelsea reflects a rethinking of the role that Curzon holds at the cutting edge of the industry by creating a multi-purpose environment for the wider creative community,” he said.

“Our flagship location will span film, art, storytelling, content creation, podcasting, live performance and conversation-led events.”

For many locals the announcement will carry a strong sense of nostalgia. The Curzon Chelsea was long considered part of the cultural fabric of the King’s Road before its closure. Its return, albeit in a dramatically expanded form, represents both a revival of a familiar Chelsea institution and a bet on the future of communal cultural spaces in an increasingly digital world.

The old Curzon alongside Habitat – where the frontage has been immaculately restored for The Gaumont

The project also signals a notable cultural addition to the rapidly evolving central section of the King’s Road, where a growing cluster of creative, hospitality and independent businesses has emerged in recent years.

Curzon says the new venue reflects changing audience habits and the increasingly blurred lines between film, digital media, live experiences and creator-led content. Screening rooms, studios, production facilities and hospitality spaces will operate simultaneously across the site, creating what it hopes will become an all-day cultural destination for Chelsea.

Hugh Seaborn, chief executive of Cadogan, said Curzon’s return would reinforce Chelsea’s long-standing cultural identity.

“Curzon has long been part of the Chelsea community and we look forward to their reopening as part of The Gaumont, a landmark development designed to celebrate Chelsea’s cultural heritage and enhance its thriving creative scene,” he said.

Cadogan CEO Hugh Seaborn at the 2025 opening of The Gaumont

Architects Takero Shimazaki described the building as being conceived as a “continuous public forum”, featuring flexible spaces designed to support film, videography and wellbeing.

The venue will also feature a large-scale immersive projection scheme created by CT London, the studio behind Frameless London, as well as a specially commissioned art installation embedded into the building from launch.

For a company born in arthouse cinema, the new Chelsea flagship represents something much larger, reflecting how cinemas are evolving into broader spaces for events, conversation and creative work, something Curzon is betting will resonate with the increasingly culture-led atmosphere emerging along the King’s Road.