For most football fans on island, getting their fix of international games meant either watching at home or from the local pub or sports bar, but when the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on 11 June, there’s going to be a third option.
For the first time, Camana Bay Cinema is going to show live games from the tournament, meaning that every kick, card and penalty of the matches will be seen in all their high-definition, big-screen glory.
Summer of sport
General manager of the cinema, Corey Randolph, said that the World Cup is just the start of a whole summer of sport at the cinema.
“We’ve shown some sports in the past, such as the Rugby World Cup, and they have always done well,” he said, “but sometimes it’s a challenge to get the content or for the timings to line up, so we’re not left showing sport matches at two in the morning.”
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 taking place in the USA, Canada and Mexico, the time difference will not be an issue, so it seems like the perfect chance to offer sports fans something a little different.
“We’re got these beautiful auditoriums with a huge picture and great sound,” said Randolph, “so we thought, let’s bring in sports fans! If it goes well and the matches are well attended, then we’ll show other games, such as golf, baseball, hockey … you name it.”
The cinema will show all the matches televised on the main Fox channel, which is around half the matches, and Randolph said that it could be a real boon for sports fans.
“We see this as being more for the person that doesn’t want to miss any of the action,” he said, noting that watching sport in a pub can be full of interruptions.
“People watching the games in our cinema are going to see them on the biggest screen in Cayman, coupled with the surround-sound package that we have for movies, so you just can sit there and enjoy the game,” he added.
Cheering allowed
Tickets are free but must be reserved online, with fans able to select their preferred seats. All showings will be in the cinema’s VIP screens, and drinks and regular cinema food, from popcorn to pizza and chicken wings, available during the action. While cinema etiquette dictates total silence in the auditorium during regular screenings, this doesn’t apply to sporting fixtures, and groups of fans can even rent out an entire screen for a particular match if they want to have the whole space to themselves.
“We certainly won’t be shushing people,” said Randolph, who expects matches involving England, South Africa, USA and Canada to be particularly popular. “We want our guests to take full advantage of the experience and cheer on their teams,”
Some of the matches will even have live commentary from Compass Media radio hosts Stick and Ben Maxwell, with the possibility of football-savvy guests to add insight to the entertainment
Kick-off times are between 2pm and 11pm and regular films will be showing as usual, so you could move seamlessly from drama on the pitch to drama, Hollywood-style.
As well as sport, Camana Bay Cinema also shows live theatre productions from the UK’s National Theatre as well as classic films from decades ago and its popular Saturday morning Kids Club films.
‘Over the years and especially since COVID, cinema tickets sales around the world have been falling, leading to many searching for alternative content,” says Randolph. “We’re looking to provide things which are not necessarily traditional cinema showings and sports events are a perfect example of that. It brings people in who quite possibly may never have been in cinema before, who can then see what it’s all about.”
For bookings and schedules visit Camana Bay Cinema at www.cinema.ky
Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Cayman
If you prefer a bar to the cinema for your World Cup watching, then there is no shortage of options. In Camana Bay itself, Abacus, Cask, KaRoo, Loco and Next Door will all show World Cup matches, while elsewhere venues including Fidel Murphy’s, The Bird, The Hive, The Roost, Lloyds Smokehouse, Salty’s, XQ’s and PDs all will show live coverage. Opening match is at 2pm on Thursday, 11 June and the final is on Sunday 19 July, also at 2pm.
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