'Heartbreaking decision': Ballarat's iconic Regent Cinemas closes its doors

Owner Steve Anderson confirmed the closure to The Courier on Monday evening.

"It's with a great amount of sadness that we have taken the decision to cease operations, effective immediately," he said.

"We have arrived at this point after a great deal of consideration and a result of a number of factors that have contributed to the heartbreaking decision to close the business.

"We would like to thank the Ballarat community for their support over the years."

It is unknown at this point what will happen to affected staff or customer vouchers and other bookings.

In a post to social media on Monday, June 24, Ballarat mum Bridget Folbigg shared she had received an email from the cinema cancelling her daughter's birthday party scheduled for this weekend.

But she said Showbiz Cinemas had come on board at last minute and were able to accommodate her daughter and school friends for a party this weekend.

Ms Folbigg said her two children loved The Regent and regularly visited the cinema, so the closure was a huge shock for her family and would be for the community.

"It's just so historical and a big part of Ballarat ... it's a shame it has closed," she said.

In 2016, Regent Cinemas had competition from the west, after Showbiz Cinemas opened at Delacombe Town Centre.

Showbiz opened its six-screen cinema at the complex, bringing Ballarat's total number of screens to 15.

In 2022, the federal government awarded Regent Cinemas a one-off grant of $85,000 to help its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 restrictions had forced cinemas to close or operate subject to strict caps on patron numbers, rendering a significant decline in revenue.

What are your memories of Regent Cinemas? Share them in the comments below and we will publish the best in our print edition.