Ljubljana’s new entertainment venue opens with Eurovision star Tommy Cash
Aviation pioneer Ivo Boscarol has kept good on his word to transform Slovenia's first multiplex cinema into a new multi-purpose entertainment and convention centre.
Just over two years after Kolosej shut down, Odiseja (Odyssey) is being inaugurated in its place in Ljubljana's BTC shopping district, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
The opening night will see a concert by Estonian rapper, singer and visual artist Tommy Cash, who finished third in this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the controversy-raising song Espresso Macchiato.
The complex spans 19,000 square metres and houses twelve multi-purpose cinema and event theatres with seating capacities ranging from 57 to 499 and totalling 3,004 seats.
In addition to three theatres with LED screens it also features a multi-purpose venue for dance, yoga and other sports activities, business events and film screenings, and a mini VIP venue.
Boscarol, who has been investing in a number of projects since selling his ultra-light aircraft maker Pipistrel to the US corporation Textron in 2022, is confident that Odiseja will be an excellent addition to the shopping district and will help make it even more attractive.
The entire investment, including the purchase and the money spent on renovation and equipment, is estimated at roughly €25 million, which Boscarol expects will break even in six to eight years.
"Odiseja is more than just renovation of the building. It's a new hub, new energy and new place where Ljubljana and Slovenia will now have a heart of cinema, cultural and business events," Boscarol told the pre-opening press conference.
The centre's main activities will be cinema, theatre, concerts and conventions, and there are also food establishments, said Urša Zupan, executive director of Odisejada, the company co-owned by Boscarol and his daughter Anastasia Taja Boscarol that will run the centre.
The first week after the opening will be dedicated to families, children and film buffs. In summer there will be holiday activities for children and in autumn the centre will host a number of concerts.
The building that used to house Kolosej was built in 2001 as the biggest multiplex in the country. For two decades it was known under the name Kolosej (Colosseum), but a decline in the complex's footfall led to its owners going bust in 2016.
The Boscarols purchased the estate in 2022 at an auction price of €6.4 million. After a series of delays and bankruptcy proceedings, the transfer of ownership took place in March 2023.
