The building was originally erected as the Eglinton Street
United Secession Church in 1825. The church closed in 1920 and the building was converted into a cinema in 1921. The original Bedford Cinema was destroyed by a fire in March 1932. The cinema's owner,
Bernard Frutin, immediately commissioned a replacement. The New Bedford was designed by Lennox and McMath and was built by Mr A.B. King. The newly built cinema was opened on 26 December (
Boxing Day) 1932. Bernard Frutin sold the cinema to George Green in 1936. The New Bedford Cinema screened its final film, a double bill of Dirty Harry and Klute, on 8 July 1973 and reopened on 12 October 1973 as a
Mecca bingo hall. It was designated as a category B
listed building on 17 June 1986 by
Historic Scotland. The building was bought by the McKenzie Group in November 2002 and underwent a massive £3 million restoration to be turned into the Carling Academy, Glasgow which opened on 26 March 2003 with a concert by
Deacon Blue. The building was renamed in 2008 and is now known as the
O2 Academy Glasgow. ==References==