After Cinema Shuts, Caldas da Rainha Plans Two-Screen Revival

Residents of Caldas da Rainha woke up this month to discover that the city’s only commercial movie screens have gone dark. The abrupt closure of the four-screen complex inside the La Vie shopping centre has sent families to neighbouring towns for blockbusters and put local officials on an urgent search for a new exhibitor.

Why the blackout happened

Attendance had been “well below what a modern cinema needs to pay its bills,” according to several people familiar with the talks between La Vie and the previous operator, Cineplace. Facing mounting losses, the company entered a Special Revitalisation Plan and gave up the lease just after Christmas. Mall management says the space is now “too large for current demand” and will probably be carved down from four auditoriums to two more intimate screens.

The municipality’s playbook

Mayor Vítor Marques insists Caldas da Rainha will not stay cinema-less for long. His team is:

• negotiating with “at least two” unnamed exhibitors that already run multiplexes elsewhere in Portugal;

• studying a smaller-footprint design that pairs stadium seating with lower operating costs; and

• mapping out possible grants from national and European programmes to ease the upfront investment.

No firm date has been floated, but the council hopes to strike a deal “during the first half of the year,” a source in the mayor’s office told us.

Where the money could come from

Below is a snapshot of funding streams Caldas da Rainha might tap:

PRR – Culture Component: €93 M earmarked for upgrading cultural venues, including digital projection equipment.

ICA’s SCRI.PT line of credit: up to €150 M in guarantees available for audiovisual infrastructure.

Creative Europe MEDIA – Europa Cinemas: operational support for theatres that screen a high share of European films.

Portugal 2030 regional funds: incentives for projects that stimulate local economies outside metropolitan areas.

City hall has already opened discussions with the Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual to clarify eligibility rules.

Who might take over

Portugal’s exhibition market is dominated by NOS Audiovisuais, UCI, Castello Lopes and the fast-growing chain Cinema City. None would confirm negotiations, citing confidentiality clauses, yet industry insiders note that mid-sized hubs such as Caldas are attractive because rents are lower than in Lisbon or Porto while still drawing visitors from surrounding municipalities like Óbidos and Peniche.

Culture lovers are not completely stranded

While Hollywood fare is on pause, the Centro Cultural e de Congressos (CCC) has expanded its Wednesday art-house slot and will host Oliver Laxe’s film “Sirât” later this month. The calendar also lists:

• the Impulso Festival, returning in spring with live music and outdoor cinema;

• Caldas Nice Jazz, whose October edition often pairs concerts with classic-film nights; and

• the annual Caldas Anima, spreading street theatre, animation workshops and free screenings across the city.

A national trend in miniature

The struggle playing out in Caldas da Rainha mirrors the reality of medium-sized Portuguese towns, where streaming platforms, higher energy prices and fragmented leisure habits have thinned multiplex margins. According to ICA data, Portugal counted 568 commercial screens in 2013; by 2025 the number had slipped below 530. Municipalities from Vila Real to Beja are exploring compact-screen models and hybrid spaces that alternate commercial releases with community events.

What happens next

La Vie’s managers say architectural sketches for a two-screen boutique cinema are “on the table,” pending an operator that commits to a multiyear lease. The city council plans to hold a public update once negotiations advance. Until then, residents can:

• follow the municipality’s cultural newsletter for pop-up screenings;

• voice their preferences in an upcoming online survey about film programming; and

• take advantage of discounted train fares to Leiria on weekends, negotiated temporarily with CP to soften the blow.

In the words of one local film club organiser, “Caldas has lost its popcorn machine, not its movie-going soul.” For a community proud of its UNESCO Creative City label, the race is on to bring the silver screen back before the summer blockbusters roll in.