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Opinion | Hotpot over hot dogs? Hong Kong cinemas need new ideas to survive
Even in the streaming era, people are still drawn to the immersion and interaction of live performances, something cinemas can offer
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A recent trend in Hong Kong is causing concern. Cinemas and restaurants that have operated here for years are now closing down for good.
Earlier this month, cinema chain operator Golden Harvest shut its venue at the MegaBox shopping centre, the fifth cinema it has closed down since April 2024. That came just days after it shut the Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, which had been in business for 56 years.
Other cinemas shutting up shop this year include the Newport Theatre in Mong Kok and the Grand Kornhill Cinema in Quarry Bay. That is five cinemas closing this year – including the Golden Harvest Whampoa cinema in Hung Hom – and we are barely halfway through the year. According to the Hong Kong Theatres Association, there were only 51 cinemas operating in the city as of May, compared with 112 venues in 1994.
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Much has changed since the 1990s, when I went to the movies almost every week. The anticipation of catching the next blockbuster and not needing to wait months before it came out on video made choosing to go to the movies easy.
With technological advances and the rise of streaming platforms, audiences no longer need to work around screening schedules. They can watch films on demand – at home or anywhere else – on any number of devices. The cinema industry has struggled with people pirating films for years, but now it has been hit hard with a totally new kind of consumer behaviour.
The challenge of shrinking audiences is not unique to Hong Kong. It’s not new either. Looking back a decade, Hong Kong had 47 cinemas in 2015 and 53 two years later.
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