London Camden Town Mecca Bingo – Arlington Road

Camden’s Mecca had a genuinely urban character, tucked into the lower part of a large 1930s cinema complex at the junction of Arlington Road and Inverness Street, just 180 metres from Camden Town tube. The building was originally constructed as a cinema before being split in 1968, with the upper section accessed from Parkway remaining a cinema while the lower part on Arlington Road became the Rank Strand Club, later renamed Mecca Bingo. That gave the club around 26,000 square feet of space and a capacity of roughly 1,216 players, with 65 electronic terminals, a licensed bar, diner and gaming machines. What set it apart from most Meccas was the setting itself, with Camden Council rating the site at the highest possible public transport accessibility level, surrounded by markets, pubs, restaurants and music venues rather than a car park.

The club was more than a straightforward bingo hall too, with a premises licence covering live music, films, dancing and other entertainment, hosting events like Rebel Bingo alongside its regular sessions. It built up a genuinely strong local following, with players and staff described by regulars as more like friends than a service, particularly for older customers who relied on it as a social lifeline. Mecca announced the closure in September 2023 after around 55 years as a bingo venue, citing a post-pandemic recovery that never fully materialised, with the club finally leaving the site at the end of 2024, affecting 23 staff. The building now sits vacant, caught up in a much larger redevelopment plan for the site involving student accommodation, affordable housing and replacement leisure and cultural space, meaning even one of London’s best connected bingo locations couldn’t escape the industry’s changing economics.

Other Lost Halls In The Area

• London – Acton Gala Bingo – High Street
• London – Gala Bingo East Ham – Barking Road
• London – Acton Mecca Bingo – Old Oak Road
• London – Bethnal Green Essoldo Bingo – Bethnal Green Road
• London – Gala Bingo Camberwell – Camberwell Road
• London – Catford Mecca Bingo – Plassy Road
• London – Gala Bingo Clapham – St. John’s Hill