Athena, Leicester

Athena is a Grade II-listed events venue located in the cultural quarter of Leicester City Centre. Originally built as an Odeon Cinema in 1936, the building was designed in the Streamline Moderne style by Robert Arthur Bullivant. Upon its opening on 28 July 1938 with a screening of A Slight Case of Murder, the Odeon was one of the most grandiose cinemas in the region, boasting a single screen and seating for 2,182 guests. Notably, the terracotta panels featuring mermaids were hand-molded by William Neatby at the Lambeth premises of Doulton and Company.

Over the decades, the cinema underwent several transformations. In 1974, the original auditorium was subdivided into three screens, with the main screen retaining 1,237 seats and two smaller screens underneath seating 123 and 111 respectively. A fourth screen was later added in 1988, converting the remaining front stalls into a 401-seat auditorium. However, the cinema ceased operations on 16 July 1997 with the opening of a new twelve-screen Odeon multiplex at Freemans Park.

In August 1997, the building was granted Grade II-listed status, ensuring its preservation. It remained vacant for nearly a decade until 2005 when it was restored and repurposed into a multi-discipline events venue. Since then, Athena has become a prominent site for corporate and social gatherings, hosting performances from notable artists such as Olly Murs, Kasabian, and Oliver Mtukudzi, and events like X Factor Live shows. Comedians including Roy Chubby Brown and Jim Davidson have also graced its stage, further cementing its status as a significant entertainment hub in Leicester.