Construction will begin next week on a £1.5 million expansion of IMC Cinema in Ballymena that will add a ten-pin bowling alley, amusement arcade, and food and drink facilities. The project is expected to create 15 full-time and part-time jobs and open in spring 2027.

Andrew Morrison, owner of IMC Cinema, said the development will transform the venue into a family entertainment centre. He stated that the cinema industry is changing and the company wants to add bowling to make the site a destination, not just a cinema.

The new facility will include 10 bowling lanes. All seven existing cinema screens will remain in operation, with the bowling alley built as an extension and the foyer altered. The cinema will stay open during construction.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council approved plans for a bowling alley and amusement centre in August 2025. Those plans had proposed 12 lanes and a reduction in cinema screens, but the final scheme has 10 lanes and all screens retained.

The town has been without a dedicated bowling facility since Sportsbowl closed in 2014. Morrison said IMC Cinema has been a locally owned family business for nearly 30 years and he wants to provide a place for families to spend time together.

Work will begin in the first week of November, with the opening targeted for spring 2027.