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Village Roadshow

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Village Roadshow
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1954; 72 years ago (1954) in Croydon, Melbourne, Australia
FounderRoc Kirby
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
Area served
Australia, Singapore
Key people
Clark Kirby (CEO)
ProductsCinema operations, theme parks, film production and distribution
OwnerBGH Capital (since 2020)
ParentVillage Roadshow Corporation (previously)
Websitevillageroadshow.com.au

Village Roadshow is an Australian enterprise engaged in cinema operations, theme park management, as well as film production and distribution. Previously traded on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and predominantly owned by Village Roadshow Corporation with leadership from founder Roc Kirby's family, it was taken private by the equity firm BGH Capital in 2020.

History

Established in 1954 by Roc Kirby under the name Village Drive-Ins in Croydon, Melbourne, the business evolved into traditional cinema exhibition through its Village Cinemas brand, maintaining operations such as the Coburg Drive-In in Melbourne. In 1968, it initiated its film distribution division, Roadshow, followed by entry into film production in 1971 via Hexagon Productions. The company forged a longstanding distribution alliance with Warner Bros. within Australia.

Throughout the 1980s, Village Roadshow was at the forefront of introducing multiplex cinemas equipped with stadium seating and cutting-edge audio and projection technology. A collaborative venture in 1987 with competitor Greater Union expanded their combined screen count to 200 by 1990 and included a $100 million investment in new equipment. That same year, their distribution arms merged to form Roadshow Greater Union Distributors, representing studios like Warner Bros. and Orion Pictures.

In 1988, the acquisition of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group prompted a rebranding to Village Roadshow Limited to facilitate capital growth for expansion initiatives. The 1990s saw diversification into theme parks, radio broadcasting networks (leading to Austereo), music production (Roadshow Music), film production (Village Roadshow Pictures), and a co-production partnership with Warner Bros.

The company reduced its international cinema footprint to focus on Australia and Singapore markets and merged Village Roadshow Pictures with Concord Music Group to establish Village Roadshow Entertainment Group headquartered in Los Angeles.

By 2003, Village Roadshow entered a joint venture named Australian Theatres with Amalgamated Holdings Limited (owners of Greater Union), unifying their cinema operations under brands including Village Cinemas.

In 2008, Village Roadshow combined its entertainment assets with Concord Music Group—partly owned by producer Norman Lear—drawing investment from Tailwind Capital Partners and Clarity Partners. Concord was later sold to Wood Creek Capital in 2013.

CEO Graham Burke resigned in late 2019, with Clark Kirby assuming leadership. Early in 2020, takeover negotiations commenced with private equity firm BGH Capital; following revenue declines from theme parks and cinemas due to COVID-19, the bid was revised downward and approved by shareholders in December 2020. In 2022, Antenna Group acquired Village Roadshow's cinema chains in Greece.

After its removal from the ASX in 2023, the company updated its name from Village Roadshow Company Limited to Village Roadshow Pty Limited.

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