New York City’s AMC Kips Bay 15, the 15-screen cinema at 570 Second Avenue in Manhattan, is set to close by the end of 2026 after nearly three decades of operation. AMC says the closure follows the property owner’s decision to exercise a contractual right to terminate the theater’s lease ahead of its scheduled expiration. A formal closing date has not yet been announced.
The closure could mark the end of one of Manhattan’s best-known neighborhood multiplexes. Opened in 1999 and acquired by AMC in 2006, Kips Bay 15 has served audiences in Kips Bay and the surrounding East Side for nearly 30 years, screening everything from major Hollywood releases to IMAX presentations. Its departure would remove a familiar moviegoing destination from a part of Manhattan with fewer neighborhood cinema options than areas such as Midtown.
AMC has confirmed that the theater is expected to remain operational through the end of 2026 while the final details of the closure are worked out. The company said a formal closing date will be announced in the coming months. Importantly, AMC has not described the decision as its choice to leave the location. According to the company, the property owner exercised a contractual right to terminate the lease before its original expiration.
Neither AMC nor the property owner has publicly explained why the lease is being terminated early. There is also no confirmed information about what will eventually replace the cinema at the site.
The uncertainty has added to concerns among local residents and regular moviegoers. With 15 screens, Kips Bay 15 has been able to offer a broad selection of films, while its IMAX auditorium has provided audiences with a larger-format option for major releases.
The theater is also regarded as the only IMAX option on Manhattan’s East Side, making its potential closure particularly significant for moviegoers in the area. AMC will continue operating other Manhattan locations, including theaters in Lincoln Square, Times Square and near 34th Street, but those venues do not serve the Kips Bay neighborhood as directly.
The possible loss of the theater has already prompted local concern. New York State Assemblyman Keith Powers, whose district includes Kips Bay 15, has said he is speaking with colleagues and other parties to explore whether the closure can be prevented.
Powers has also pointed to the uncertainty surrounding the property owner’s decision. His office has contacted the property owner and nearby institutions to discuss whether there are ways for the cinema to remain open. He has argued that neighborhoods benefit from having a range of places and activities available to residents.
For now, the future of the site remains unclear. The lease is expected to end early, and AMC Kips Bay 15 is expected to close by the end of 2026, but there is no confirmed plan for what will replace the theater once it leaves.
Since opening in 1999, the multiplex has become part of everyday life in Kips Bay, giving local residents a nearby venue for new releases. Its continued operation through the end of the year will give moviegoers more time to visit the theater before its expected closure.
Whether efforts involving Powers and other interested parties can change the theater’s future remains uncertain. For now, the expected closure means Kips Bay could lose a cinema that has been part of the neighborhood for almost 30 years, while the future of the space it leaves behind remains unanswered.
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