Date of closure: 6th April 2021
Address (for reference only):
Mecca Bingo (Lost Halls)
68 Fishergate
York
YO10 4AR
York’s Fishergate Mecca sat on a site with one of the longest entertainment histories anywhere in this collection, layered on top of Roman and Anglian York itself. The purpose-built club opened in 2001, replacing the earlier Rialto Cinema on the same site, but bingo had actually been present here in some form for decades before that. The Rialto opened in 1935 with 1,550 seats, hosting star names including Louis Armstrong, Gracie Fields, Johnny Mathis and even The Beatles, and was one of the first cinemas in the north of England equipped for 3D films. Mecca bought the building in 1961, and after the cinema closed the site went on to have a colourful run as bingo, then as the Cat’s Whiskers nightclub, York’s self-proclaimed top live music venue, before finally being cleared to make way for the modern purpose-built Mecca in 2001.
The new club offered the familiar mix of traditional and electronic bingo, gaming machines, a bar and modern facilities across seven days a week, but it only lasted around 20 years. The club closed during the first Covid lockdown, briefly reopened in August 2020, then closed permanently, with Mecca confirming the news on 6 April 2021 after 18 years serving the local community. The building was demolished in 2022 to make way for student accommodation, and that demolition gave archaeologists a rare chance to properly excavate the site, uncovering Roman roads and a cemetery, Anglian settlement evidence, Anglo-Scandinavian remains and traces of the medieval St Andrew’s Priory, alongside structural remains of the old Rialto Cinema itself. It’s a striking reminder that beneath the car park where bingo players parked for two decades lay evidence of people living and working in York well over a thousand years earlier.
Other Lost Halls In The Area
Here are some photos of the York Mecca Bingo on Fishergate 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.
Also, if you have photos to add here, please contact us here to share them.
Tonight I have been at Mecca Bingo Fishergate and as I shouted out ‘bingo’ he started on the next number. Everyone sat around me said I should of won. I have told staff and he said he couldn’t hear me on the video. But I heard my self. In the end he fobbed us off with free main sessions but why do that if he didnt hear our voice? The people sat around us said we should have won and wouldn’t have left the building, and as we left my boyfriend got a couple’s number and they said they would take this further!
My daughter in law asked me if I would like to join her for a game of bingo on Sunday evening 20th Oct to celebrate her 30th birthday as she had never played before. The last time I played was about 35 years ago! I was expecting some grotty ex cinema of yesteryear with some fatty chicken in a basket type food! What a pleasant surprise…staff were wonderful…really helpful…from reception to the bar to the floor staff…the lad calling numbers-even though it was his last night, he kept popping over to our table to ask if we were ok and following everything…the atmosphere was bright, clean and welcoming…we had chicken tikka…it was amazing washed down by a £6.99 bottle of wine…loads of vouchers for free stuff and a freebie bottle of plonk too for the birthday girl…we didn’t win but cannot wait to return….great value for money night out….thank you!
It just gets worse!! Full of idiots who talk non stop and the caller ignores them and lets them get away with it! Bingo caller Barry loud, rude and loves to hear his own voice. Food slow, expensive and tastes like a microwave meal! Same people winning every night 6 or 7 times and the staff know the number of the boards that are winning without checking them!! I purchased 90 tickets and didnt get down to 1 yet the same whoopie guy gets 24 and wins every night hmmmmm fix? Card ripped up and will be going to Clifton and taking all my mates with me!
Now closed down