'Surprise surprise': Cork venue The Kino reopens under new management
New seating at the newly-reopened Kino on Washington Street.
The Kino cultural venue in Cork has reopened its doors to the public under new management. For now, the Washington Street facility is operating just as a café, but organisers are planning to expand the range of entertainment offerings once Covid-era restrictions on events are relaxed.
"Surprise Surprise - The Kino has reopened with a new crew and management! Come on in and say hello to the new team", reads a post accompanying a photograph of the venue's redecorated interior.
"There's a lot planned for the coming months and all will be revealed," one of the organisers told the Irish Examiner.
"We have the intentions of restoring the place to what it was previously but all depending on the path in which the Government takes in the coming weeks.
"We want to be able to run an array of events in the future from music, to comedy, to movies. But, for now, we are a cafe supplied by local suppliers - waiting for our opportunity to move onto the next phases of the plan."
The news comes after the closure in February of the building as a live music venue. Up until then, it had been run by The Good Room promoters, also behind the Live At St Luke's venue and the It Takes A Village festival in Trabolgan.
In February of this year, An Bord Pleanála approved plans the demolition of the current building, and the creation of a five-storey student accommodation development on the site of the former arthouse cinema. Plans for that development include a cinema, performing arts space and café/bar on the ground floor.
