Omniplex D'LUXX

The Crystals Arena leisure centre opened in 1986; it was owned by the local council and operated by a private company. The venture was not a commercial success and the complex closed within a short time. The lease was acquired by Regal Theatres, a company headed by Ronnie Rutherford (Rutherford reopened the Strand, Holywood Road, Belfast for films in 1988). The Crystals Arena reopened as the Bangor Cineplex Icebowl on 15 December 1989 and included a 4-screen cinema. By 1994 the business had been acquired by Ward Anderson. By 12 December 1997 the bowling alley and ice rink had gone and three screens had been added (bringing the total to seven). A further three screens were promised (by Easter 1998) but these never materialised. At the same time the cinema was rebranded as Multiplex Bangor. By early December 2007 the cinema had been rebranded as Omniplex.

My photograph showing this cinema as the Bangor Multiplex was taken in November 1998. Three additional screens were at that time being announced as “new” (see my leaflet scan) so the cinema had evidently been enlarged fairly recently, and presumably this was when the name was changed from Bangor Cineplex to Bangor Multiplex. More recently (2008?) it was acquired by Omniplex and subsequently refurbished and rebranded.