Media museum to reopen Imax before Christmas

The National Science and Media Museum has confirmed its Imax cinema will reopen in time for Christmas, ahead of the venue's full relaunch in January.

The Bradford museum has been closed since last summer for a "once-in-a-generation" refurbishment to tie in with the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2025.

Ahead of the grand reopening next year, the Imax will welcome back film fans on 20 December, with screenings of Disney sequel Mufasa: The Lion King.

A spokesperson said the reopening marked the beginning of an "extraordinary journey for both the museum and our community".

The wider museum will reopen on 11 January, in partnership with animation studio Aardman, which will show Wallace & Gromit films and offer model-making workshops.

A temporary exhibition David Hockney: Pieced Together will launch on 15 January, showcasing the artist’s pioneering use of film and photography.

Other new features include a £6m project called Sound and Vision - two new galleries inviting visitors to become radio presenters and learn about sound engineering.

There will also be a new passenger lift and improvements to the main entrance.

Museum director Jo Quinton-Tulloch said: "We couldn’t be more thrilled to be reopening the museum with the backdrop of an amazing Bradford 2025 programme, making this a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

Helen Featherstone, director for Northern England at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “In 1995, the museum was one of the first transformational projects in Yorkshire that received funding from the Heritage Fund, and after 30 years we have supported the museum again with the new Sound and Vision galleries."

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