NOS Lusomundo Cinemas has taken over the cinema screens previously run by Cineplace at the Continente Shopping Centre in Portimão and plans to open a fully renovated cinema complex by April.
The screens, located at the Sonae Sierra-operated shopping centre, have already reopened partially, with at least four of the six screens showing films. The temporary setup will continue to offer movies during the ongoing renovation, ensuring that locals don’t miss out on cultural and cinematic highlights during the first months of the year, a spokesperson told Lusa news agency.
The takeover comes after Orient Cineplace closed its Portimão cinemas at the end of 2025, part of a gradual shutdown amid the company’s ongoing insolvency process.
The Algarve cinema scene has seen several changes in 2025. In addition to Portimão, NOS Lusomundo Cinemas closed its Tavira screens, while Cineplace ceased operations in Guia (Albufeira). Meanwhile, Vila Real de Santo António has announced monthly cinema screenings in partnership with the Alliance Française do Algarve.
According to the Portuguese Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual, as of August last year, cinemas were operating in nine of the Algarve’s 16 municipalities, including Albufeira, Faro, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão, São Brás de Alportel, Silves, and Tavira.
In the Faro district alone, 664,984 people attended cinema screenings in 2024. While this remains below pre-pandemic levels – in 2019, the district recorded 949,259 cinema-goers – the reopening in Portimão may signal a fresh boost for moviegoers in the western Algarve.
