Kolosej, Slovenia's first multiplex cinema, closed down on 14 March having been in operation for 22 years at Ljubljana's BTC shopping district. The new owner plans to refurbish it into a new entertainment centre.

"We would like o inform you that Kolosej is closing its doors on 14 March," the operator announced in a post to its website and social media.

"See you soon at Komuna," the post added in a reference to a cinema in the centre of Ljubljana, which has also been operated by Kolosej.

The building housing the Kolosej multiplex cinema at BTC was auctioned off to the Ajdovščina-based businessman Ivo Boscarol in September 2022 for €6.4 million.

The building has been a bankruptcy estate since 2016 after its former owner, businessman Sergej Racman, cut off creditors and the multiplex was used as collateral.

Boscarol, who sold his successful ultra-light aircraft maker Pipistrel a year ago, said at the auction he planned to keep the cinema theatre business going, but also wanted to set up a commercial and entertainment centre for various events, including esports.

In a press release, Boscarol confirmed that Kolosej is closing down for refurbishment. In the future it will open under a new name, Odiseja (Odyssey), and will feature "additional new interesting content".

More about the new activities, providers and the start of operation should be known in the autumn.

Launched in May 2001, the multiplex has 12 theatres seating more than 3,300 people and spanning 14,513 square metres. The entire estate encompasses 10,000 square metres of land.

The cinema was initially hugely popular, attracting thousands of visitors. However, as debts started piling up and the cinema began to fall into disrepair, visitor numbers started dwindling.

Cinemagoers changed their habits too and streaming platforms have added to the demise of the cinema as a business, which also took a blow from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the meantime, multiplex cinemas started springing up in other parts of the country and last year a much more modern Cineplexx was launched at Ljubljana's Rudnik borough.