Prince Charles Cinema secures 25-year lease
The Leicester Square venue has agreed a new lease without a break clause after 21 months of uncertainty.
London’s Prince Charles Cinema says it has secured its future with a new 25-year lease. The agreement removes the break clause that had threatened to leave the independent venue facing closure at short notice.
The cinema announced on Thursday that it had signed a lease with no break clause. The agreement means the venue can remain at its Leicester Place site for at least another 25 years, ending a long-running dispute with its landlord.
The dispute became public in early 2025, when the cinema said Zedwell LSQ Ltd and its parent company, Criterion Capital, wanted a break clause for redevelopment. Under the proposed arrangement described by the cinema, the landlord could have required it to leave with six months’ notice if redevelopment plans were approved.
The venue’s campaign attracted substantial public backing. Its petition had been signed by 168,645 people by Thursday, while Westminster City Council designated the cinema an Asset of Community Value in 2025. That status gave the campaign additional recognition and community protections, although it did not by itself settle the lease dispute.
The cinema and its landlord had been involved in court proceedings before reaching the agreement. Criterion Capital said the new deal provided security for the venue and allowed the company to continue its relationship with the cinema, while also developing space elsewhere in the building for a Zedwell capsule hotel.
The Prince Charles is known for repertory screenings, cult films, foreign-language releases, all-night programmes and audience events. It operates two screens and has become a prominent independent venue in the West End, where the campaign received support from filmmakers, actors and cinema audiences.
The public announcement confirms the length of the lease and the removal of the break clause, but does not publish the rent or the full commercial contract. The agreement therefore settles the immediate question of whether the cinema can remain at Leicester Place, while leaving its longer-term financial performance dependent on its programme, audiences and operating costs.
The venue’s current listings continue to advertise screenings, including London Film Festival titles and repertory films. For now, the practical change is straightforward: the cinema has a secure home and can plan its programming without the previous threat of a redevelopment notice hanging over it.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The central development is directly confirmed by the cinema and supported by independent reporting. Background claims about the dispute, petition and council designation are consistent across the sources reviewed.
- confirmed The Prince Charles Cinema announced a new 25-year lease without a break clause on 15 October 2026. — Confirmed by the cinema’s campaign update and reported by LBC and the Evening Standard. source
- confirmed The previous dispute involved a proposed redevelopment break clause that could have required the cinema to leave with six months’ notice. — Described in the cinema’s campaign material and independently reported by the Evening Standard. source
- confirmed The petition had been signed by 168,645 people by the announcement. — The figure appears in the cinema statement reproduced by the Evening Standard. source
- confirmed Westminster City Council designated the cinema an Asset of Community Value in 2025. — Reported in the Evening Standard and referenced in the cinema’s campaign history. source
- confirmed The public announcement does not disclose the rent or full commercial contract. — The public statements reviewed set out the lease length and break-clause position but not the rent or complete contract terms. source
Editor's note
The new 25-year lease and removal of the break clause are confirmed by the cinema and independently reported. The rent, full contract and detailed settlement terms were not publicly available in the sources reviewed.Sources
- Save The Prince Charles Cinema — The Prince Charles Cinema
- Prince Charles Cinema saved as new 25 year lease announced — LBC
- Prince Charles Cinema saved! Much-loved venue says future secure after landlord legal battle — Evening Standard
- What’s On — The Prince Charles Cinema
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