The Curzon Mayfair, one of London's oldest and most iconic cinemas, is closing down after 91 years.
The venue, which first opened in 1934, is officially being renamed and redeveloped by its owner Fantasio in order to turn the site into a modern cinema, entertainment, media hub and dining destination, according to The Standard.
It comes after a lengthy legal dispute and campaign against the changes by the building's former tenants Curzon Cinemas, which has formally withdrawn its defence in the litigation, making way for the redevelopment.
"We’re disappointed it has taken so long but relieved it’s over and that we can now progress," said Fantasio CEO Dan Zaum.
"We are passionate about creating London's ultimate cinema experience. The Mayfair cinema will always have film at its heart – and will become a vibrant venue serving the wider community, creatively, socially, educationally and beyond."
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The company is set to spend over £15 million on the redevelopment, with plans to restore some original features while improving the layout, lighting, and the audio and visual screen technology, as well as introducing an in-house restaurant and bar.
It will also retain the cinema's existing two screens but introduce luxury seating, and will continue to host premieres.
"The Curzon Mayfair has been in decline for years, as has cinema-going generally. We've got a vision that entails re-imagining film viewing, making it as immersive and exciting as the films being shown," said Zaum.
In a statement, Curzon responded: "The iconic Curzon Mayfair, from which the company took its name in 1934, has been its flagship cinema for 90 years, hosting numerous world premieres as well as the best of art house and independent cinema, and this quarter posting industry-leading growth of +25%.
"Any suggestion by the landlord that it is a venue in decline is demonstrably false."
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Zaum continued: "There's a reason why cinema audiences around the country have been dropping and it's not about the films being made, which are just as good as ever.
"It's the general quality of the experience, in not having comfortable, reclining seats with lots of room, in not being able to take in high-quality food and drink, in being treated like a commodity by an anonymous chain rather than as someone special looking to have a special time."
Curzon said it had been looking to refurbish the cinema for over eight years, but its plans were "summarily blocked" by Fantasio.
"This issue has touched a nerve in the wider community with more than 20,000 people signing the petition to keep the Curzon Mayfair, and hundreds more lodging objections with Mayfair council against the landlord's alternative plans," the company added.
"The local community and the wider cinema industry, led by Steven Spielberg, are all saying the same thing: that the landlord's plan to fundamentally alter the cinema is not wanted.
"Sadly, Curzon has concluded that it had no option but to withdraw its legal challenge to the landlord's plans, given the risk of meeting the landlord's enormous legal costs should the challenge prove unsuccessful."
The company's statement concluded: "Despite Curzon's profound love for Curzon Mayfair, it is with regret that we now need to withdraw from the site and focus our attention on establishing a new flagship venue elsewhere in London."
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
