The Tivoli

Ever wondered what ghosts haunt a former cinema? The Tivoli in Cambridge might just hold the answer. The Tivoli isn’t just any pub. It’s a place brimming with history, layered like the finest craft beer brewed on-site. This building, standing proudly on Chesterton Road, has seen more transformations than a chameleon. It started its life long before the familiar glow of pub lights. The Tivoli began as a brewery around 1855, owned by James Dyson. By 1898, it had changed hands to the brewer E Lacon. But its brewing days were numbered. In 1925, most of the brewery buildings were demolished to make way for Cambridge’s second purpose-built cinema: The Tivoli Cinema. Designed by George P. Banyard, it boasted stalls, a circle, and a 23-foot wide proscenium. Sadly, the lower seats, known as “the pit,” occasionally flooded when the River Cam overflowed. It must have made for a very damp movie experience. The Tivoli Cinema entertained Cambridge residents until 1956 when it closed its doors. It then became a warehouse, a rather unglamorous fate for a place once filled with the magic of the silver screen. Later, it was reborn as The Exchange restaurant and health club, and eventually The Graduate pub, which closed in 2008. J.D. Wetherspoon briefly revived it as “The Tivoli” in 2010, but a devastating fire in 2015 gutted the building. Only the facade and three outer walls survived. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the Tivoli rose again in 2024, restored by City Pub Group to its current glory. Today, The Tivoli offers a unique social experience. You can enjoy street food from local vendors like Steak & Honour, sip craft beers from Cambridge Brew House, play crazy golf, or simply relax on the roof terrace with views across Jesus Green. It’s a remarkable blend of old and new, a place where the echoes of cinema-goers mingle with the laughter of pub patrons. So, as you raise your glass at The Tivoli, remember the layers of history beneath your feet, from brewery to cinema to pub. Who knows, maybe you’ll even catch a glimpse of a ghostly usher or a phantom projectionist.