Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Yumna Maumoon has stated the Olympus cinema will be reopened in October after completing the renovation and upgrade of the facility. The ministry initially planned to reopen the cinema in September.
In a written statement to the Parliament of the Maldives, Minister Yumna said efforts are underway to finish the renovations and reopen Olympus in October. She said currently workers are installing LED panels on the theater board and renovating the dance practice room. She added the work to procure sound and lighting equipment for the cinema will soon be open for bidding.
Renovations began at the largest cinema in the Maldives after it was closed in adherence to the COVID-19 restrictions. The upgrade of the cinema is carried out in two different phases. The first phase, which involved interior and exterior renovations of the building including the ticket counter and corridor, has now been completed. The second phase, which involves the upgrade of equipment, is currently ongoing.
Olympus is a historic building located in Male' City that has premiered numerous movies from the local film industry. The cinema has seen numerous renovations since it first opened in 1959 and has continued to face issues of wear and tear due to the age of the building.
The redevelopment of Olympus is carried out under the grant assistance of the Government of India as part of the High-Impact Community Development Project (HICDP).