Mockingbird Cinema cancels outdoor screening plans amid coronavirus fears

Scenic Cinema, in collaboration with Mockingbird Cinema, had been due to present an application for a temporary alcohol licence to Birmingham City Council yesterday for the five-day bank holiday weekend event.

However the application has now been pulled, with the organisers announcing on Facebook that the event had been postponed until Easter weekend 2021.

Due to run from 10.30am to 10.30pm from August 27 to August 31 at the Rowheath Pavillion in Bournville, the event boasted ‘something for all the family’, with as many as 485 people expected at any one time to watch the 11 films being screened over five days.

A bar was to be provided throughout the event, too, while a range of street food vendors were also expected including Flying Cows and Yardbird.

West Midlands Police had already voiced their concerns, writing in an objection to the licensing application that the information provided by the applicant ‘raises questions around the safety of the event, lack of control measures and it not seemingly being Covid compliant with current guidelines.’

Organisers had attempted to allay fears around the spread of Covid-19, with spots at the ‘cinema’ only allocated in ‘bubbles’ of four or six people and guidelines around the cleaning of headsets between each screening.

However the threat of local lockdown led to organisers taking to Facebook to announce that the event had been delayed.

A spokesman said: “Due to the rising corona cases in Birmingham and the uncertainty of us going into a local lockdown we have made the tough choice to postpone the outdoor cinema until the Easter bank holiday next year.

“We feel this is the safest thing to do and will give us more time to get everything ready and put on a really good show for you and your families.

“Thanks for bearing with us, stay safe, and we will see you all next year."