New Bedford Cinema
New Bedford Cinema was an Art Deco cinema in Glasgow that later became a bingo hall and is now the O2 Academy Glasgow.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
New Bedford Cinema was a historic cinema building on Eglinton Street in the Gorbals, or Laurieston, area of Glasgow, Scotland. Although the cinema brand is defunct, the building remains an important example of Glasgow's interwar entertainment architecture and continues to operate as a live-music venue under the name O2 Academy Glasgow. The site began as the Eglinton Street United Secession Church, erected in 1825. After the church closed in 1920, the building was adapted for cinema use in 1921. This first cinema, known as the Bedford Cinema, was destroyed by fire in March 1932. Its owner, Bernard Frutin, commissioned a replacement rather than abandoning the site. The replacement was designed by the architectural partnership of Lennox and McMath and constructed by A. B. King. It opened on Boxing Day, 26 December 1932, as the New Bedford Cinema. The New Bedford formed part of Glasgow's large network of neighborhood cinemas, providing feature-film entertainment to local audiences. Its most significant early ownership change occurred in 1936, when Bernard Frutin sold the cinema to George Green. The venue continued as a cinema for several decades, but changing entertainment economics and audience patterns eventually led to a change of use. Its final film programme was a double bill of Dirty Harry and Klute, screened on 8 July 1973. On 12 October 1973, the building reopened as a Mecca bingo hall. This ended the cinema's operating history while preserving the structure for another form of mass entertainment. The building was later recognized for its architectural and historic importance when it received category B listed-building status from Historic Scotland on 17 June 1986. In November 2002, the property was acquired by the McKenzie Group. It then underwent a substantial restoration costing £3 million, with the building adapted for use as the Carling Academy, Glasgow. The restored venue opened on 26 March 2003 with a concert by Deacon Blue. In 2008, the venue was renamed and became known as the O2 Academy Glasgow. Consequently, New Bedford Cinema is best understood today as a defunct cinema brand associated with a surviving and repurposed Glasgow landmark rather than as an operating cinema chain or current consumer brand.
History
The building associated with New Bedford Cinema has a history that predates cinema by almost a century. It was originally built in 1825 as the Eglinton Street United Secession Church on Eglinton Street in Glasgow's Gorbals, also known as the Laurieston area. The church closed in 1920, after which the building was converted for film exhibition and opened as a cinema in 1921. The original Bedford Cinema was destroyed by fire in March 1932. Bernard Frutin, the cinema's owner, responded by commissioning a replacement building. The new cinema was designed by Lennox and McMath and built by A. B. King. It opened on 26 December 1932, Boxing Day, under the name New Bedford Cinema. Its design made it a notable example of Art Deco architecture in Glasgow, combining the requirements of a large public auditorium with the strong visual language associated with interwar cinemas. Frutin sold the cinema to George Green in 1936. Under its subsequent ownership, the venue continued to serve local audiences as a conventional cinema. Its operating life extended into the 1970s, but on 8 July 1973 it screened its final programme: a double bill consisting of Dirty Harry and Klute. The building then changed function rather than being demolished. It reopened on 12 October 1973 as a Mecca bingo hall, reflecting the broader reuse of large cinema buildings for other forms of entertainment. The structure's architectural value was formally recognized on 17 June 1986, when Historic Scotland designated it a category B listed building. This status acknowledged the building's regional architectural and historic significance and helped protect its character during later changes of use. A further major transition took place after the McKenzie Group bought the building in November 2002. The group undertook a £3 million restoration and conversion project, preparing the former cinema for use as a live-music venue. The restored building opened as the Carling Academy, Glasgow, on 26 March 2003, with a performance by Deacon Blue. In 2008 it was renamed the O2 Academy Glasgow, the name by which the venue is known today. New Bedford Cinema therefore represents several successive phases in the life of one Glasgow entertainment building: religious use, neighborhood cinema, bingo hall, and concert venue. The cinema itself is defunct, but the survival and continued public use of the building give the former brand an enduring place in Glasgow's architectural and cultural history.
- 2008
Venue renamed O2 Academy Glasgow
[1]The former cinema building adopted the O2 Academy Glasgow name.
- 2003
Reopens as Carling Academy, Glasgow
[1]After a £3 million restoration, the venue reopened on 26 March as a concert hall, with Deacon Blue performing at the opening.
- 2002
McKenzie Group acquires the building
[1]The McKenzie Group bought the property in November and initiated plans for restoration and reuse.
- 1986
Category B listed-building designation
[1]Historic Scotland designated the building a category B listed building on 17 June.
- 1973
Cinema closes and becomes a bingo hall
[1]The final film was screened on 8 July, and the building reopened as a Mecca bingo hall on 12 October.
- 1936
Ownership transferred to George Green
[1]Bernard Frutin sold the cinema to George Green.
- 1932
Original Bedford Cinema destroyed by fire
[1]A fire in March destroyed the original cinema building, prompting owner Bernard Frutin to commission a replacement.
- 1932
New Bedford Cinema opens
[1]The replacement cinema, designed by Lennox and McMath and built by A. B. King, opened on 26 December.
- 1921
Building converted into a cinema
[1]The former church was converted into a cinema, establishing the site's first film-exhibition operation.
- 1920
Church closes
[1]The church ceased operating, allowing the building to be adapted for cinema use.
Products and positioning
A local Glasgow cinema and landmark entertainment venue, later preserved through conversion to bingo and live music.
Cinema exhibition · 1921
New Bedford Cinema film screenings
The core offering was public exhibition of feature films in a large Glasgow neighborhood cinema. The venue operated as a conventional cinema from its conversion in 1921, and the replacement New Bedford Cinema continued that role after opening in 1932. Its final known programme was a double bill of Dirty Harry and Klute in July 1973.
Brand decisions
2002
Restoration and conversion to a live-music venueStrategyBackground
The McKenzie Group bought the former cinema building in November 2002.
Action taken
The group carried out a £3 million restoration and converted the building into the Carling Academy, Glasgow.
Aftermath
The venue reopened in March 2003 and was renamed O2 Academy Glasgow in 2008.
Restoration cost. £3 million (2002–2003)
1973
Conversion from cinema to bingo hallStrategyBackground
The cinema screened its final film programme on 8 July 1973.
Action taken
The building reopened as a Mecca bingo hall on 12 October 1973.
Aftermath
The cinema brand ceased operating, while the building continued as an entertainment venue.
1932
Commissioning of a replacement cinemaOtherBackground
The original Bedford Cinema was destroyed by fire in March 1932.
Action taken
Owner Bernard Frutin commissioned a new building, designed by Lennox and McMath and constructed by A. B. King. It opened as New Bedford Cinema on 26 December 1932.
Aftermath
The replacement became a notable Glasgow Art Deco cinema and remained in cinema use until 1973.
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