Shaw Theatres Balestier reopens on Thursday; 850 pairs of movie tickets to be given out

SINGAPORE – Shaw Theatres Balestier will reopen on Thursday after it was closed for renovations from August 2019 for more than 3½ years.

Prior to its opening, 850 pairs of movie tickets will be given away at the newly refurbished cinema’s open house from Monday to Wednesday, said Shaw Theatres in a statement on Friday.

On Monday and Tuesday, 350 pairs of tickets will be up for grabs each day on a first-come, first-served basis. The remaining 150 pairs will be given away on Wednesday.

The queue will start at 10am at the box office on all three days and each patron is entitled to one pair of tickets.

On Monday and Tuesday, the tickets are valid for movies screening on the same day from 11am to 8.30pm in the four Lumiere and six regular halls. On Wednesday, the tickets are for movies screening in those halls from 11am to 3pm.

Movie titles include 2022 films such as Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love And Thunder, Bullet Train, Elvis and Ticket To Paradise.

The new Shaw Theatres Balestier has 11 halls in total – five premium and six regular – up from six regular halls before it was renovated. It has the highest number of premium halls in a cinema in Singapore.

Four of the premium halls, coined Lumiere, feature reclinable seats with more legroom and the latest sound system. For couples who want a more intimate movie-watching experience, armrests for twin seats can be folded up.

The other premium hall, called Dreamers, is catered to families with young children. The volume in this hall is reduced and it has soft lighting, so children can see where they are going. It will screen family-friendly movies all year round.

The Dreamers hall at Shaw Theatres at Jewel Changi Airport has colourful seats and an open play space at the front of the hall. Shaw Theatres said its Balestier outlet has a different design and will share more details at a later date.

Mr Mark Shaw, director of Shaw Organisation Group of Companies, said the Lumiere and Dreamers halls were immediately popular with patrons when they were introduced at Shaw Theatres Jewel in 2019.

“When the time came for Shaw Theatres Balestier to undergo a complete makeover, we recognised the need to introduce more of these two concepts into the cineplex,” he added.

Shaw Theatres said the interior of its newly renovated cinema pays tribute to Balestier, a heritage district known for its old shophouses and industrial background.

“The cinema corridor where patrons access the halls is reminiscent of a car-free street with trendy cafes and niche lifestyle shops. (Patrons) will see grilles, red bricks and particle boards carefully assembled (to look like) a modern retro-style home,” it said.