Paramount
A landmark venue when it opened as part of the Paramount chain – on the site of the original King Edwards School on New Street – with the biggest capacity of any Birmingham cinema at the time and a famous Compton organ which emerged from beneath the stage.
In 1942 it became part of the Odeon chain, and during the 70s and 80s its primary business was as a concert venue hosting the likes of Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, Big Country, U2 and ABBA.
Split into eight screens in the late 80s, and still operates as a cinema today.
139 New Street, Birmingham B2 4NU
Get your own mini Odeon New Street, created by Spaceplay. Visit the shop.
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Cyril Barbier’s first date with his wife was at the Odeon New Street. He built a scale model of the cinema, a project which took 28 years, and includes a recreation of the Odeon’s famous Compton organ.
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‘The Day the Music Died’, a news item from 1987 about the closure of The Odeon as a concert venue.
