Multiplex, the cinema chain operating in Kyiv, has updated its internal algorithm for screening halls in response to the introduction of differentiated air raid alert levels. The changes cover both the procedure for notifying audiences and the rules for ticket refunds. When an alert is triggered, the film screening is paused, and a message about the threat and the direction to the nearest shelter is displayed on the screen. The "yellow" level does not trigger an automatic cancellation of the session: once the signal ends, audiences may return to the hall, and the screening resumes. In this case, a ticket refund is provided exclusively for guests who voluntarily decide to leave the cinema.
Action Protocol for the "Red" Level
The situation changes fundamentally when a "red" air raid alert is declared. In this case, the cinema's operations are fully suspended, all sessions are cancelled, and staff are required to ensure that audiences are moved to a safe location. Operations may resume only after the official end of the alert or its downgrade to the "yellow" level. Guests whose session was cancelled due to a "red" signal are entitled to process a ticket refund. However, the refund is not issued in cash but in the form of promo codes for an upcoming session at the same chain.
Influence of Shopping Mall Rules and Local Authorities
An important addition to the general algorithm is the provision that the specific procedure in each individual cinema may differ. It is influenced by the decisions of local authorities as well as the internal regulations of the shopping and entertainment centers where the Multiplex halls are located. If the shopping mall's rules require tenants to cease operations at any alert level — including "yellow" — the cinema is obliged to comply with these requirements. Thus, an audience member purchasing a ticket should bear in mind that the procedure in their specific hall may be stricter than the chain's basic scenario.
Chain Geography in Kyiv
In the capital, Multiplex cinemas operate at eight locations: Lavina Mall, Prospekt, Atmosfera, Komod, Tsum, Victoria Gardens, Retroville, and Respublika. Each of these halls is subject to both the chain-wide algorithm and the specifics of its own shopping center. In conditions where, according to Ukrainian and Russian media, sirens regularly sound and multi-hour alerts are declared in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, a clear action protocol becomes not a formality but a practical safety tool for thousands of audience members.
Context: Alert Situation in the Capital
The update to Multiplex's rules comes against a backdrop of a sustained trend toward prolonged air raid alerts in Kyiv. Ukrainian analysts point out that the new tactics of Russian strikes on the capital's infrastructure lead to multi-hour restrictions that directly hit the everyday economy, including the leisure and entertainment sector. Under such conditions, cinemas are forced to balance visitor safety with the preservation of their commercial model, and promo codes instead of cash refunds become a compromise solution that allows the chain to retain its audience without direct financial losses.
