Fans of the big screen in Regina will have one more place go to for blockbuster movies when Rainbow Cinema reopens on July 24.
The cinema, which shut its doors to the public in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced it will be operating two and a half days a week starting Friday with safety measures in place for physical distancing.
“We are calling it a soft reopening. We’ll be open Friday nights, Saturdays and Tuesdays,” one of Rainbow Cinema’s managers, Thomas Hendricksen, said.
“We have also been looking for sponsors to give us an extra day on Sundays. We are looking at one in the afternoon and one in the evening; that’s going to help with preventing congestion in public areas.”
The cinema said it will also be staggering showtimes by at least 30 minutes to keep as few people as possible in the lobby. They are also removing some seats to ensure six feet of physical distance is observed in the theatre.
Moviegoers are encouraged to wear masks, but Hendricksen said it is not a requirement.
Hendricksen, who has worked at the cinema since 2007, said it was unreal to see the lights go out for three months and that cinema staff made sure to stay in touch with customers.
“We’ve been running weekly popcorn sales across the chain and doing deliveries out for people to mitigate costs,” he said, adding that the staff can’t wait to see people come through the theatre doors again.