Early last year I had the privilege to be shown the inside of the Kingsgate by Jonathan Hardy, where the new cinema complex was being built. Here we are now seeing the finished multievent venue – it’s too big to be called a “cinema” – opening on time ahead of Easter 2025!
Contrasting photo’s taken last year with being present at the launch event today, the difference is of course vast. The complex not only houses 6 screens, each of between 90 and 130 seats with the best quality of picture and sound, but 15 other attractions – some of which are both new for The Light and for Huddersfield and are specially designed by The Light’s CEO James Morris.
At one end of the scale, there are bowling lanes, skittles for children over 4 and at the other axe throwing, speed climbing walls and “Go Ape’ style high level walks for those with a head for heights.
Tom Swan, Head of Sales for the The Light, commented “I like the fact that we are spread over three floors. We have the top floor for the screens, this middle floor which could have 30 different parties all engaged in different activities, and on the ground floor, let’s not forget, we have StarQuest Laser!”. The latter, opening later in May, certainly noting one of Huddersfield’s links to the science fiction stars born here: Sir Patrick Stuart, Jodie Whittaker and Lena Hedley.
Following a tour with Milly Maloco, Head of Marketing at The Light, what is also noticeable is how accessible the all the leisure items are. Everyone will be able to access the activities and there will be special screenings or arrangements made to help the demographics of all Huddersfield’s diverse community to get the best from what is available. Obviously, some special requirements are needed for some entertainments, for example, and probably quite rightly, only over 18’s will be allowed to take part in the axe throwing!
The business community can also benefit from the facilities with the ability to book screens for corporate events and link these with team building events across the range of activities available, many areas being able to be made private the help cater for such customers. Ambition from The Light is to draw in customers from Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, all cities close enough to travel quickly to Huddersfield, the first two of course able to take advantage of the improvements from the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
In their launch event opening words both James and Kirklees Council CEO, Steve Mawson, highlighted the benefits the £9M private investment into the new venue, The Lights largest and most ambitious, will bring to Huddersfield. Being located inside the Kingsgate Shopping Centre and close to the new National Health Innovation Campus, KC’s Cultural Heart development and benefiting from its own car parking, all help to provide customers with a wide range of activities to undertake and spend more time in the town centre.
James further commented that all the 90 newly hired staff had shown great enthusiasm to be part of this fantastic development and to support the towns folk in selecting the right activities for their entertainment.
Tom observed that “it’s just the scale of it, instead of having just one or two dart oches, we are up to three, we have electric shuffleboard and the shooting range, both firsts for The Light, two curling lanes instead of one. Everything has been done on steroids using all the 70,000 sq ft of the site.’
He finished with “The scale is something spectacular, and I can’t wait to fill it, I love it, I absolutely love it!”.
I think I agree with Tom!
—
Charles Maltby, Programme Director, HU.