Inside a quaint cinema in Birmingham that has been left to rot for decades

It was once a much-loved cinema showing all the latest blockbusters, but today Hockley’s former Palladium cinema is more likely to attract intrepid urban explorers than cinema buffs. The Palladium first opened in 1911 as the Hockley Picture house, but the former 506-seat cinema on Soho Hill has been left undisturbed for over half a century.

In 1922, the picture house was renamed the New Palladium Cinema – and its name can still be read on the front of the building to this day. The Palladium operated for many years as a thriving neighborhood movie theater before closing in 1965 when it was converted into a bingo hall.

Despite its permanent closure in the 1970s, the basic architecture of the building remains firm and the auditorium, although stripped of its seats and decorative elements, retains its imposing presence. Described as an ‘eyesore’ by a number of locals, urban explorer group Urban Souls have shared some fascinating images from inside the former cinema, giving us a glimpse into the Palladium’s glory days.

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In the images, shared with BirminghamLive, you can see that the structure of the auditorium remains intact. While all the seats have been removed, the stage remains standing, as does the iconic vaulted ceiling, although much of the paint is peeling.

On the upper level, a number of seats remain in place, overlooking the main hall below. The building appears to have been used for storage or storage over the years, with ladders, cupboards, chairs and pieces of wood strewn across the floor.

The graffiti-covered venue closed completely in the 1970s after being used as a bingo hall for several years. Despite the fact that it is bad, a number of Brummies have shared their memories of the once-popular cinema with local history group Birmingham History Forum.

Maggie posted to the group: “I remember the Palladium very well…as a child I lived in rooms in South Rd Hockley. The people who lived above us in the attic had a son, I can’t remember his first name but his last name was Bryant or Bryant, he was the projectionist at the Palladium and he used to sneak me in every Saturday.”

Michael said: “I’ve been there many times, I’ve seen The Benny Goodman Story, Rebel Without a Cause, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Love me Tender for example. A great cinema”. Keith added: “I was there today – shame about the state of the lovely building… I used to go there to watch Elvis films and the occasional Saturday matinee.”