Date of closure: 10 April 2023
Address (for reference only):
Buzz Bingo (Lost Halls)
Shakespeare Street
Dumfries
DG1 2JJ
Dumfries’ Buzz Bingo occupied one of the more architecturally unusual arrangements in this whole collection, an actual working split between bingo and cinema in a single old auditorium. The building opened in December 1931 as the Regal Cinema, designed by Dumfries architects Gordon & Scrymeour with seating for around 1,699. In 1972, the huge auditorium was split horizontally, with the former stalls becoming a bingo club and the former balcony becoming a separate 532-seat cinema that opened as an ABC that June. That unusual arrangement, bingo below, cinema above, lasted an extraordinary 46 years, with the cinema passing through several identities including EMI, Cannon and finally Odeon before finally closing on 28 June 2018.
The bingo operation, meanwhile, ran continuously downstairs from 1972 onwards, starting as Gala Bingo and becoming Buzz Bingo in 2018, essentially right as the cinema upstairs was disappearing for good. It offered the standard modern format of bingo and slots, a diner and bar, cash machine and disabled facilities, all within the shell of a genuine 1930s cinema auditorium. On 8 March 2023, Buzz announced Dumfries as one of nine clubs closing nationally, citing weak post-pandemic recovery, cost-of-living pressures and rising energy costs, with the final trading day set for 10 April 2023 and 11 staff affected. That gave the building around 51 years of continuous bingo use. Remarkably, the story hasn’t ended there. In September 2025 a new owner emerged with plans to reopen both the cinema and bingo elements of the building, and as of July 2026 work was reportedly still ongoing, offering the genuine possibility that this old Regal could one day operate as both cinema and bingo hall again, just as it did for nearly half a century.
Other Lost Halls In The Area
Here are some photos of the Dumfries Buzz Bingo on Shakespeare Street from Twitter and Facebook, to give you a flavour of the club, its customers and decoration. The photographers are unknown, but if one of these is yours let us know and we’ll add a credit.
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