Carolina Mall Cinema 8 permanently closed Monday, Sept. 28, ending a nearly 50-year run as a movie theater in Concord.
The theater posted the announcement on Facebook Monday morning, saying it would miss its regulars and thanking customers for years of patronage. No reason was given for the closure.
The closure was effective immediately.
WBTV first reported the shutdown Monday. Staff learned they were out of a job the same morning. A social media post reported by Queen City News said employees were notified by message that the location was closed and they were no longer employed. At least one customer who had purchased tickets for a screening the following day asked about a refund. Queen City News reported it reached out to the theater for comment on refunds but had not received a response.
The cinema at 120 Country Club Drive NE, inside Carolina Mall, opened as the three-screen Carolina Mall Cinema III on Dec. 22, 1976, under operator Fairlane-Litchfield Theatres, according to Cinema Treasures. It expanded to four screens by 1978, six by 1982 and eight by the mid-1980s. Two additional screens were added in 2012.
Southeast Cinemas Entertainment, a regional chain operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, ran the theater at the time of its closure. The company also operates Eastgate Cinemas in nearby Albemarle.
The closure drew an outpouring of reaction online. One commenter wrote that the cinema had been their first job. Others called it their "comfort theater."
According to Hoodline, industry research published in March 2026 estimated a net loss of about 3,000 movie screens nationwide since 2019, with mid-tier suburban multiplexes disappearing at the highest rate. Carolina Mall is owned by Hull Property Group.
Customers who purchased tickets and have not received a refund can try contacting Southeast Cinemas Entertainment through its website.
