KIPS BAY, MANHATTAN — More than 100 New Yorkers attended a rally outside AMC Kips Bay 15 on a Sunday afternoon to protest the theater's potential closure. The AMC Kips Bay Theater is expected to close at the end of 2026.

The "Save the Kips Bay AMC Theater Rally" was organized by the Eleanor Roosevelt Independent Democrats. Judith Gross, president of the group, said she hoped AMC and NYU would see the community response. Gross said the neighborhood is not a campus for NYU and its medical offices.

Gross said the group is guiding the community to protest takeovers of remaining community space. She said she hopes AMC and NYU see what the group has done. She said the neighborhood is not a campus for NYU and its medical offices. She said the group is guiding the community to protest takeovers of remaining community space.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal attended the rally and recited Nicole Kidman's AMC Theatres advertisement. Paddy Reilly's Music Bar, an Irish pub located near the theater, supported the protest by offering a free drink to attendees who presented a selfie from the rally. Desi Murray, who has owned the bar for three years, said the closure would affect young people in the area.

Murray said the theater is important because many young people in the neighborhood like to go to the movies. He said the closure would be a big loss for the community.

New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez stated that city officials learned about the property deal only after it had occurred. Gonzalez said NYU is a neighbor and they have worked with them in many different capacities, so it was surprising that they had to reach out to NYU to find out that they were the ones looking to acquire the land behind them. She said it is not unreasonable to ask NYU to be proactive in engaging with the community. Gonzalez said the same thing is happening there, with a big new partner coming in and potentially kicking out the theater, limiting options to see movies in the neighborhood. She said they are asking for everyday people to be included and have their voices heard, whether in Hollywood or in Pittsburgh.

NYU Langone privately purchased the site of the AMC Kips Bay Theater over a year ago. Steve Ritea, Senior Director of Media Relations at NYU Langone, issued a statement regarding the transaction. Ritea said NYU Langone is committed to providing high-quality, accessible healthcare to the communities they serve.

Ritea said they have been exploring opportunities to expand clinical services and improve access to care as they continue to see growing demand at their Manhattan campus. He said when the owner of the Second Avenue property approached them most recently regarding a potential sale, they recognized that the site's proximity to their hospital could help support those long-term community healthcare needs. He said the purchase remains under contract and is not expected to close until early next year. He said years before NYU Langone was approached about the property, AMC and the landlord entered into a lease granting either party a right to terminate at any time. He said they will provide updates on their clinical plans when the transaction is finalized.

Assembly Member Keith Powers stated that AMC wants to remain open at the Kips Bay location. The AMC Kips Bay Theater is located at 570 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. The multiplex contains 15 cinema screens.

Why It Matters

The closure affects a central entertainment venue in Manhattan, with local officials and residents expressing concern over the loss of community space. The event shows tensions between institutional expansion and neighborhood preservation, as demonstrated by the organized protest and statements from elected representatives.

The situation involves contractual obligations and property rights, with NYU Langone citing lease terms that allow for termination. The community response indicates a desire for greater transparency and engagement in decisions affecting local assets.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms that the AMC Kips Bay Theater is located at 570 2nd Avenue in Manhattan and contains 15 cinema screens. Powers said AMC wants to stay, and he is not going to speak to COVID-era leases when everybody was struggling and nobody was going to the movie theaters.

Powers said he is not going to let them hide behind an era of time when people could not walk into buildings, let alone go see a movie. He said he talked to AMC directly and called them to make sure they wanted to stay, and they said very clearly they want to stay.

Manhattan Community Board 6 has scheduled the first official public hearing on the AMC Kips Bay 15 closure on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The official record states that the AMC Kips Bay 15 will close following the property owner's decision to exercise its contractual right to terminate the theater's lease before its scheduled expiration. New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez also stated that NYU is making an active decision to acquire the property, and in doing so, also made an active decision not to engage or let anyone know. She said the only way they found out is because her office literally had to reach out to them. She said this is not new for NYU, and she has struggled to build a relationship with them in the last year and a half as it pertains to gender-affirming care. She said over 85,000 New Yorkers sent letters to them when they chose to discontinue care for youth, and in that process, they refused to negotiate and refused to work with them.