The Labia Theatre- “One of the world’s most heavenly picture palaces and movie houses is a Cape Town institution” writes .Andrew Hallett. Content Director, Time Out South Africa
“We never get tired of seeing Cape Town receive global recognition.
This time, a Cape Town movie house has been named amongst the 50 most beautiful cinemas in the world!
What makes a special cinema? A colossal IMAX screen, Dolby Atmos sound and cutting-edge 4K projectors are all great, but there’s something more that makes a great temple of cinema – a sense of storytelling that starts before you’ve even grabbed your popcorn and taken your seat. There are a few cinemas that truly stand apart: cine-temples so historic, beautiful and unusual that they make taking in a movie feel like an act of pilgrimage.”
- The Labia is rated NUMBER 12 in the 50 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the World!
The Labia Theatre, Cape Town
“We’ve scoured the globe, from London to Paris, Jaipur and New York to Sydney and Copenhagen, to highlight the 50 most heavenly movie theaters on the planet. From a 12-seat theatre in an old Ontario crafts shop to a 2702-seat grand salle in the City of Light, Time Out is celebrating them in all their architecturally eye-popping, Insta-friendly, just plain drop-dead-gorgeous variety. Pull up a red velvet armchair, plonk your feet on a foot stool and take a trip to the world’s most beautiful cinemas.
Nestled beneath Table Mountain is this quirky gem. South Africa’s oldest indie cinema, it prides itself on marrying modern tech with an olde-worlde charm a world away from the gleaming modern multiplex. Cinemagoers purchase their tickets from an ornate ticketing booth (or online – it’s not that old-world) and the faded grandeur of this old Italian Embassy ballroom lingers on in its three opulent-feeling screens. In recent years the likes of John Cleese, Werner Herzog, Matt Damon and Salma Hayek have popped by for a movie and a chill on its garden terrace. There’s no record of whether they got stuck into the bar’s potent slush-puppy cocktails, though.
Put it on the poster: Yes, it is mistaken for a porn theatre but it’s actually named after the Italian diplomat, Princess Labia, who opened it in 1949. Stop sniggering at the back.
How to support The Labia Theatre: Watch a film on its streaming platform.
And the top three in the 50 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the World:
1. Le Grand Rex, Paris
2. Pathé Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski, Amsterdam
3. Village East Cinema, New York
Written by Andrew Hallett. Content Director, Time Out South Africa
CONGRATS to The Labia Theatre team – see you there SOON!
WHAT: 50 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the World
WHERE: The Labia, Orange Street, Cape Town 8001
INFO: T +27(0)214245927 | E labiatheatre@telkomsa.net | Visit | TimeOut |
See also 2021 Time Out – The Labia among 50 most beautiful cinemas in the world! |
