Erding: Almost as many moviegoers as before the pandemic

Well received: Studio A at the Cineplex Erding. In the back row are the recliners. © Max Saufler

The Cineplex cinema Erding has largely overcome the pandemic. The number of visitors is almost as high as before. Now further investments are being made in the halls.

Erding – The pandemic has changed the behavior of moviegoers. Or is it? At least the Cineplex Erding has been moving in the right direction, especially since August last year. At that time, two new luxury halls, Studio A and B, were inaugurated (we reported). And they are extremely popular with audiences, as cinema spokeswoman Karin Glück explains. The investments have paid off, which is why the next ones are already on the agenda at the Cineplex on Dorfener Straße.

More than 17,000 visitors have enjoyed Studio A and Studio B since opening, reports Glück. At 23 percent, the occupancy rate is up to five percent higher than in the other halls. And the eight recliners are very often sold out.

Most of the art films are shown in the two studios, such as the highly acclaimed drama "The Banshees of Inisherin" or the German bestseller adaptation "When will it finally be back as it never was". In the meantime, the popular series Sonntagsfilm & Sekt is also running in the new halls.

But things are also going well in the old halls at the moment. The slump in spectators due to the pandemic is hardly noticeable: "In the first quarter, we have now reached 92 percent of the visitor numbers of 2019," reports Glück. This is an increase of over 180 percent compared to 2022.

On the one hand, this is due to the many blockbusters. But the demand for arthouse films has also risen noticeably in Erding, says Glück: "We assume that we will be able to continue to catch up with pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter."

As reported, the two new halls also serve as event locations. Since they have their own foyer, they are ideal for birthday parties, company presentations or closed film screenings with catering. The city of Erding or the dealer network Ardeo were already there. "There was even a highly romantic marriage proposal with individually designed film material on the screen in the studios," says Glück.

Moving: D-Box Motion seats make the cinema even more tangible. They will soon be available in Erding. © CHRISTIAN SCHRANNER

All this is reason enough for new investments: From mid-June, the back rows in seven more halls will be expanded and replaced by recliners. The work is expected to be completed by the end of July. Matches will continue during this time.

Probably the most exciting investment is due in September: "Cinema 3, the largest of the twelve halls, will be converted into an 'Ultimate Cinema'," Glück announces. That means he gets a new, high-quality 4K projector and a Dolby Atmos sound system. The latter should be familiar to music fans in particular: Due to the lack of a system in Erding, some concert films were only shown in the Cineplex Neufahrn, which is also operated by the Fläxl family.

Visually, too, something will happen: A new LED light installation on the walls will react to the colors of the trailers in the pre-program. In addition, a row of seats will be equipped with so-called D-Box motion seats. Glück: "The seats move in all directions and make it possible to experience what happened on the screen in a new way." They already exist in Neufahrn. Since the renovation, the Ultimate auditorium there has the best occupancy rate of all 16 cinema halls. The Fläxls are hoping for the same effect in Erding.

By the way: When the renovation begins in the Cineplex on Dorfener Straße, the old cinema seats can be picked up for a good cause for a donation. The exact dates and conditions will be announced in good time on the Cineplex's social media channels.