In downtown Wenatchee, Washington state, a portion of the ceiling collapsed at Liberty Cinema in the middle of a movie on Tuesday, February 26th, 2025.
The unexpected event happened during a showing of the new Captain America movie, titled, “Captain America: Brave New World.” A part of the room’s ceiling caved in, destroying the flooring and numerous chairs in the room. Thankfully, this collapse happened only in the first few rows of the room, where no one was seated there at the time. Natalie Nysa Alund from USA Today reported that the ceiling caving in happened around 8 P.M. (Natalie Nysa Alund, February 28, 2025).
The Wenatchee Valley Firefighter Department arrived at the Cinema a little bit after 8 P.M. According to Kyla Guilfoil from NBC News, the firefighters remarked on the situation in a statement report. The department states, “Talk about an interactive movie experience… just not the kind you want!” (Kyla Guilfoil, February 27, 2025). They also ensure that they are conducting a thorough investigation for the cause of the ceiling cave-in.
In addition, Kyla Guilfoil from NBC News reports that there were only two people in the theater, which happened to be a couple. Wenatchee Valley Fire Battalion Chief Cam Philips reports that the couple were in the row right behind where the incident unfolded, with again, no injuries.
Interestingly, Liberty Cinema first opened in 1919. Some speculate that this is what caused the ceiling to crumble. Despite this, Emily Van De Riet from Live 5 News states, “Firefighters said the cause of the collapse remains under investigation” (Emily Van De Riet, March 4, 2025).
Despite the shocking event that occurred, the theater is currently closed due to the incident and The Wenatchee Valley Firefighter Department continues on with their investigation.
