Movie Theatres in Sydney

THE 10 BEST Sydney Movie Theatres

Movie Theatres in Sydney

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What travellers are saying

  • nicole t
    Sydney, Australia1,484 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    First time at IMAX since it reopened in Sydney.

    A great cinema experience for all the family.

    Good availability of food and drinks
    Written 11 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Mairwen1
    United Kingdom12,144 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is one of the very best Sydney summer things to do. Even for locals, it is a very special experience to sit outside in the botanic Gardens, looking across Sydney Harbour as the sun sets over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. A giant screen rises up out of the water and, as the sky grows dark, the movie starts. On a balmy, summer evening, it just doesn’t get any better than this.
    There are a few different levels of tickets. We opted for the dinner & reserved seating option:
    i) Chandon Garden Dining:
    This was a lot of fun and I’d do this again. Tables are set on the grass beside the water in the Chandon Garden area and this year, the Italian restaurant, Fabbrica, was doing the food. If like us, you’re with a group then you might want to be there early-ish to nab one of the larger tables. There is partial table service for the food but not the drinks. Drinks are ordered at the bar but because the area has its own bar, you can get a drink quickly. Food is ordered using the QR codes on your table but will be brought to your table. The only hiccup was that the timing of the meals was out. Although we’d all ordered at the same time, some of our group were finishing their meals while some were still waiting for theirs to arrive.
    ii) Reserved Seating:
    Reserved seating is definitely the way to go. In your own time, you can head off to your seats in a leisurely way, without any pressure to secure ‘good’ seats or to find an empty row of seating with your friends. We were in roughly the middle section of row 22. It is tiered seating and we had an excellent view from here.
    iii) Notes:
    * This is an annual event and only operates in February. It finishes Feb 18th, 2025.
    * The cost for dinner/reserved seating is $50 but it's worth noting that this does not include the cost of your meal or drinks.
    * Westpac customers can get some discounts so check the cinema website
    * Of course, you are subject to the weather and Sydney can get late afternoon storms that roll in from the south. The event may be cancelled for bad weather but (and it’s a big but) only if it’s considered dangerous and involves lightning. If not, you are given a plastic poncho and have to make do.
    * There is parking around the Art Gallery and Domain area but public transport to Circular Quay is very easy also and from here, you can walk through the Botanic Gardens to the cinema.
    Written 5 February 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • PUMBRIDGE
    London, UK2,360 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fills up very quickly, so consider booking space ahead of a visit to this trendy downstairs bar in a former film distribution centre.
    Good atmospheric bar in a popular venue.
    Written 26 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Rae R
    United Kingdom29 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing little cinema, and only $12 per ticket on Mondays! Highly recommend. There is unfortunately no GF beer though at the bar.
    Written 13 September 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Victoria C
    4 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Experience was great, but if you are of a larger body frame (or big thighs), the fixed table in Lux2 cinema is awkward. A bit like old fashioned school desks and you can only therefore use half the seat. So I ended up sitting at a diagonal angle for the duration.

    Otherwise - great screen. Great Audio. Friendly staff.
    Written 1 July 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Trevor O
    92 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    have visited here before and absolutely loved it, however this time we were bitterly disappointed. we decided to pay extra for gold grass tickets, however when we got there, we couldn’t choose our seats. whoever the usher is who greets you takes you and only offers you seats in there section.
    we didn’t take any food or drinks this time either, big mistake. we ordered and had to wait about 1 1/2 hours to get warm alcoholic drinks and food which were overpriced.
    the movie screen and sound is great! except at the end when they were showing the credits and bloopers the announcer decided to talk over the funny bits and tell us all to carry our bean bags back to hand them back in. seemed like the staff were very rushed and didn’t want to be there. apparently they only had 5 staff cooking for 2000 people.

    compared to our last experience, this was disappointing.
    Written 23 December 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • PUMBRIDGE
    London, UK2,360 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Comfy seats, chatty staff… all in all a great cinema experience.
    We watched Anatomy of a Fall ( highly recommended) and had cuppas and cake before the showing.
    But the cinema is on the brink of being redeveloped, with a new cinema in the basement, so it’s moving south in the city for a couple of years. Four screens until the end of Feb 2024.
    Written 19 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Christine Lily
    Sydney, Australia1,253 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A group of us went here to watch a movie. The staff were proficient and friendly. The cinema was clean and tidy. The only issue was the woman in front of us who snored through the whole movie.
    Written 22 April 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • RonWamberal
    Sydney, Australia11,743 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent quality movies, more likely to be art-house than mainstream, often have good festivals like the British Film Festival , comfortable seats and relaxing lounge area while you wait. Totally packed last weekend for the closing night of the festival with The Good Liar. Huge pressure on the car pack and too few toilets when they have major nights.
    Written 28 November 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Gail K
    Sydney, Australia39 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tricky to find in the shopping centre, but the kids enjoyed it and want to go back. If you like getting sprayed in the face with water, you’ll love the experience!
    Written 12 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Jay
    Sydney, Australia587 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Went to Palace Central on Avengers opening day in the Platinum cinema. It was busy and staff still delivered a great experience from start to finish. We were checked in, seated in the Platinum Lounge before film started and placed our orders.

    The food and drinks were delivered at perfect times during beginning and middle of film. Staff were attentive throughout. There is a handy call button where additional food and drink can be ordered without issue. They give a pen and paper to you so you can order easily from seat without disrupting others. Overall an excellent experience.
    Written 5 May 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Louise W
    17 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Majority of self serve kiosks not working which resulted in a queue at peak time, no staff to fix them. One person serving in the shop in peak time which resulted in a queue, although he was lovely. One rude, unhelpful woman shuffling sheets of paper and checking tickets at the bottom of the stairs who grunted and pointed with a shake of her head when asked where my number cinema was, that was enough for me not to go back, the couple in front of me engaged with her and said "hi, how are you today" to which they got a head jerk and "up there" like it was such an inconvenience for her to do her job. Interestingly, she wore no name badge ......
    Written 3 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • justpostthedamnrevie
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia31 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    As a birthday present my friend suggested we see the new 'DUNE' movie at the IMAX Cinema at Darling Harbour. The cinema has been promising to open 'soon' for three years and finally opened quietly recently. I remember seeing a 3D documentary on the International Space Station about twenty years ago at the old IMAX Cinema and was keen to see if the technology had improved. Finding the cinema was easy enough, I've been driving past the building site for years. The building is quite distinctive, shaped more like a seashell than a box.
    I had booked online a few nights before but was not impressed by the price. By the time you added a large popcorn there was just a few coins change from a hundred dollars. The booking system required you pick a seat and all the best seats had already been taken. I thought I had booked a seat in the back row, on arrival we were directed to the front row. Being that close to the screen meant the image was keystoned and a reclining seat or adjustable neckrest would have been a good idea. The movie itself was part 2 of the first 'DUNE' movie, epic visualisation of the French novel that was bold and immersive. I wish the director had given the editor a freer hand to remove more footage, long shots of the dessert whilst a singer wails in Arabic is a great establishing shot but if you are using the same music continually it's time to cut some scenes. Overall the movie is superior to most action adventure dross produced the the past decade, the costuming alone would carry the film.
    Alfred Hitchcock described cinema as the ability to tell a story within the endurance of the human bladder (i.e., 90 minutes). Two hours is a long film and at the conclusion the entire audience (juiced up during the film with two litre softdrinks) made a bee line for the cinema's toilets which consisted of one cubical and two urinals. I doubt the ladies' toilets were better equipped.
    Even with an excellent film the experience was expensive and disappointing.
    I don't think I'll do it again.
    Written 2 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Thomas V
    Oakland, CA19,155 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very old school, has not been modernized with fancy seats. The main theater, number one, is big enough to have good sound. They show good films here.
    Written 6 April 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • davorow
    Sydney, Australia97 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    ok cinema experience BUT DONT ORDER FOOD way below any sort of standard the food here has been going down hill for 2 years but now reaches a new standard of hideous and inedible
    Written 11 January 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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