The Kentucky Theatre is in talks to reopen after being put under new management.
On Sep. 24, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton announced that the Friends of the Kentucky Theatre, a local non-profit dedicated to preserving the historic venue, would take over the theatre management. The appointment of the Friends as management ends an almost year-long search for new operators for the venue.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the 200-year-old theatre to close in Oct. 2020. The closure also brought an end to the theatre’s partnership with the City of Lexington.
“Our goal is to continue the best traditions of the Kentucky Theatre while introducing innovations and initiatives that will make the theater even more dynamic as it enters its second century,” Gorton told WKYT.
The Friends hope to reopen the theatre by December, with a few added twists. The addition of a third screen is in the works, as is a new film festival to commemorate the reopening.
“With at least seven screening locations in and around downtown Lexington, we think Lexington is ripe for an international film festival,” said Friends of the Kentucky Theatre board member Hayward Wilkirson.
The Friends will continue to operate as a non-profit. The Kentucky Theatre itself will offer annual memberships, hoping that savings provided via membership will produce a ripple effect for the theatre’s customer base.
“When you have to close your business, many times, the owners won’t want to open back up,” said Fred Mills, longtime manager of the Kentucky Theatre, who will continue to run it under the new management. “Fortunately, the Friends of The Kentucky Theatre had been thinking a day like this might happen. It’s a very good feeling.”
