Cinemas Near Me: Camden

Camden Town might be more readily associated with live music than movies, but after Nigel Smith gave this tour a very enthusiastic plug at the end of his tour of the Carlton Cinema on the Essex Road, I booked immediately. Partly because I’m a sucker for a good cinema story… and partly because the Odeon Camden is due to close soon. The chance to explore its history before the lights go down felt too good to miss.

As ever with Nigel’s walks, this was far more than a list of former picture houses. It was a two-hour journey through the rise, fall and reinvention of entertainment spaces in Camden — from grand music halls to roller rinks, bingo halls and back to cinema again.

As I don't want to reveal all Nigel's research, here's a few highlights. Hippodrome

We began with the story of the magnificent Camden Hippodrome, a vast Edwardian variety theatre whose fortunes shifted with changing tastes and technologies. Like so many of London’s entertainment palaces, it adapted repeatedly — a reminder that these buildings have always had to evolve to survive. Plus a bonus for me, the chance to see a beautiful tribute to Dame Ellen Terry, who I am named after.

The Camden Odeon

A highlight (and slightly poignant stop) was the Odeon Camden, originally opened as the Gaumont in 1937. Nigel revealed its surprisingly quirky past — far removed from the corporate multiplex image many might assume. With closure looming, I'm pleased I booked this tour now.

Update: The Odeon Camden closed at the end of February 2026.

Reinvention and Resilience One of the threads running throughout the tour was how these buildings transitioned through different forms of entertainment — from music halls and variety theatres to roller-skating rinks and bingo halls — shaped by the arrival of television, the video revolution, and waves of urban redevelopment. Cinema here hasn’t simply survived; it has adapted.

And all is not lost.

Curzon Camden

We finished at Curzon Camden, tucked under Camden’s historic railway arches. The venue has five bijou screens, each seating just 30 guests, creating a wonderfully intimate filmgoing experience. A casual, New York-style bar with glamorous interiors and soft lighting completes the space, showing that Camden’s love of cinema continues in small, carefully crafted ways.

I was tempted to stay and watch something — and will definitely return — but instead I headed up to the Strand for a rare, one-week-only run of the Japanese cast of Six the Musical.

Another excellent tour from Nigel Smith — and if he says “get in quick”, I’d suggest you do exactly that.