Apple to close its store in Basingstoke after 15 years

The Festival Place store opened in August 2011 and has served Apple customers in the area ever since.

Apple said the closure is part of a plan to improve its service in the region, including reopening a redesigned store at The Oracle in Reading.

An Apple spokesperson said: "As we prepare to make these updates, we have decided to close our Apple Festival Place store. Apple Festival Place will remain open until November 2026, after which all team members will have the opportunity to work at Apple The Oracle or other Apple Store locations.

"We’ve loved serving the Basingstoke community for the last 15 years and look forward to welcoming customers at nearby Apple Stores, on Apple.com and the Apple Store app, and through Apple Authorised Resellers and Service Providers across South East England."

The Festival Place store opened in August 2011, two months after Apple’s Oracle store in Reading.

Apple in Festival Place is closing down (Image: Emily Roberts)

The shop was closed 'temporarily' on August 13, when the Gazette called by.

A Festival Place spokesperson said: "We are sorry to hear of Apple’s decision to close its Festival Place store in November, and we thank the team for being part of the centre.

"The store is closed today but is expected to reopen as normal tomorrow, Friday 14 August, and will continue trading until November.

"While we are disappointed by the announcement, Festival Place is continuing to evolve, with retail and footfall moving in a positive direction.

"Overall footfall at Festival Place is ahead year on year, while recent openings including Superbowl UK and Hans have helped increase upper-level footfall by 52.4 per cent so far this year.

"Activate, a leisure operator offering a high-tech gaming experience, is also due to open this month, giving people another reason to visit, shop, eat and spend time at Festival Place.

"Retail remains at the heart of Festival Place, alongside its growing leisure, food and entertainment offer, and we are in positive talks with existing and prospective occupiers about further opportunities.

"We remain confident and excited about Festival Place’s future and its position at the heart of Basingstoke."

Festival Place opened in October 2002 as part of a major redevelopment of Basingstoke’s lower town centre. It spans around 1.2 million sq ft and has more than 140 high-street brands, restaurants and a 10-screen Vue cinema.

Estama was appointed in 2025 to oversee the centre’s future and attract a mix of established brands and independent businesses.

Apple operates 39 UK stores; the Basingstoke closure will reduce that number to 38.

In the past 18 months, Apple has upgraded or relocated six UK stores and opened 11 worldwide.

Basingstoke staff can transfer to the redesigned Apple The Oracle store in Reading or other Apple Store locations.

The announcement comes amid other retail changes at Festival Place, where Blacks is also closing its store as part of a wider contraction of the brand in the UK.