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The Great Britain Guide

Theatres · Central Scotland

O2 ABC Glasgow

♿ Wheelchair: limited

O2 ABC Glasgow in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh chair – 1964 - geograph.org.uk - 6496611

Alan Murray-Rust — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–3 h
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

O2 ABC Glasgow is a cinema or movie theatre in Scotland Central, United Kingdom, dating from 1875. Britain's listed cinemas span Edwardian picture palaces, Art Deco super-cinemas of the 1930s, and the surviving independent neighbourhood houses.

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From the Wikipedia article

The O2 ABC was a nightclub and music venue on Sauchiehall Street, in the centre of Glasgow. The building was constructed in 1875, renovated many times in its lifetime and also largely rebuilt in the 1920s. The building was used for numerous functions before being finally converted to its final purpose between 2002 and 2005, before finally closing in June 2018 after extensive fire damage. In 2009, the Academy Music Group took a majority stake in the venue, rebranding it the O2 ABC. The venue was formerly protected as a category C(S) listed building. In March 2009; the Academy Music Group became the major stockholder of the O2 ABC. On 15 June 2018, the building was severely damaged by a fire outbreak causing the main roof of the venue to collapse. The fire had started in the Mackintosh Building of the nearby Glasgow School of Art which had recently been undergoing construction work due to a fire that occurred on 23 May 2014. On 7 August 2024, Glasgow council served the building with a notice which stipulates that all unstable sections of the building must be demolished by 9 December 2024.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

In November 1929 ABC opened its flagship cinema. The architect who designed the building was named: CJ McNair. As this was to be ABC's flagship cinema it also seated a total of 2,359 people. The cinema was a conversion from an older building. The building was originally built in 1875 as the Diorama. In 1878 it was renamed as the Panorama. When the circus was not putting on shows the building was used once again for the purpose of showing films to the public. In 1927 the building reverted into the function it was originally built for, a dance hall. The building consisted of a ground floor car park while the second floor was the main dance hall.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.8658, -4.2642
District
Glasgow City
Postcode
G3 6RQ
Parliamentary constituency
Glasgow North
Established
1875
Official site
www.gsa.ac.uk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is O2 ABC Glasgow?
O2 ABC Glasgow is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode G3 6RQ).
When was O2 ABC Glasgow built?
Built or established in 1875.
Who owns O2 ABC Glasgow?
O2 ABC Glasgow is owned by Academy Music Group.
How do I get to O2 ABC Glasgow?
Drivers can navigate to postcode G3 6RQ. It sits within the Glasgow North parliamentary constituency.