Kortrijk – October 30, 2026 -- Barco will open its first HDR by Barco auditorium in Belgium on November 18 at Kinepolis Kortrijk, close to the company's headquarters, extending a premium cinema format that is already running in six countries.
Belgian debut follows rollout in six existing markets
HDR by Barco already operates in the U.S., U.K., Germany, India, Italy and the Netherlands. The most recent additions were three new sites in Germany. Construction in Kortrijk is underway.
The format was introduced to moviegoers in fall 2024 and made its commercial debut in early 2025. Barco says it has since been deployed rapidly across major film markets in the U.S. and Europe.
Kinepolis auditorium pairs HDR with immersive audio and premium seating
The upgraded Kinepolis screen will combine HDR by Barco presentation with immersive audio and premium seating. Kinepolis Group operates 134 cinemas with 1,474 screens and about 230,000 seats across nine countries.
Nicolas Hamon, Head of Projection and Sound at Kinepolis Group, said the format lets the exhibitor show more detail, colour and contrast on screen.
The two companies have worked together since Barco's move into digital cinema. In 2014 Kinepolis used Barco's laser technology to launch its Laser ULTRA premium brand.
Barco pitches dedicated film versions as the premium-seat differentiator
Gerwin Damberg, EVP of Barco Cinema, said European exhibitors are reinvesting in premium cinema. He said every HDR by Barco title is a dedicated version of the film, graded and signed off by the original creative team, and not available on standard screens. His summary of the technology: "better pixels, not more pixels."
Carl Rijsbrack, Barco Cinema Senior VP of Strategy and Product, said the Belgian launch with Kinepolis is another milestone as the format spreads to cinemas worldwide.
The format is built on Barco's patented Lightsteering technology, which directs light where a scene needs it without extra power. Barco says this produces highlights more than 6x brighter than traditional projection while retaining detail in dark areas. Barco reported sales of 964 million euro in 2025.