Cinema and Film

Did you know that London is the third busiest film production center in the world, after Los Angeles and New York!

London has some great and historic Cinemas. Here are my favourites:


The Electric Cinema 

One of london´s oldest cinemas on 191 Portobello Road, opened in 1910. Sixty-five leather armchairs is just part of the comfort.

Website here.

Rio Cinema in Hackney

107 Kingsland High Street, E8

A great local cinema that originally opened in 1915 as the Kingsland Empire, designed by architects Percy C. Adams & George Coles of the architectural firm Adams & Coles, in a Neo-Classical style.The Rio Cinema is a Grade II Listed building.

Read more here.

Ciné Lumière

17 Queenberry Place SW7  T:South Kensington

Located in the Institut Francais, the Ciné lumière largely shows a variety of new and recent French and other foreign language films, whilst Sunday afternoons are reserved for “French classics”. The large auditorium provides a comfortable film viewing experience, and tickets are very reasonably priced in comparison to some of the large chains.   Read more here.

Gate Picturehouse (Picture below)

87 Notting Hill Gate, W11

Tube: Notting Hill Gate

The Cinema has a lot of Edwardian plaster-work on the ceiling and walls and is very comfortable, with all seating on a single floor. The exterior and tiny foyer is now of little merit having been rebuilt in the 1950’s after the original decorative facade and entrance was badly damaged by bombing during World War II.

Read more here.

Reel Streets

A good website about Film/Movie locations in London.

You will see the Statue pictured below of Charlie Chaplin on a side street to the right of the Empire Casino in Leicester Square. It used to be on the Square itself.

The Compton Organ

The Odeon Leicester Square (east side) is the largest single-screen cinema in the UK and still has an operating Compton 5/17 + Melotone organ  installed in 1937. The Organ console is lit from within by coloured lightning. See link above for concerts. 


Here is a link to

The Cinema Organ Society

Everyman Cinema Hampstead

5 Holly Bush Vale,

Hampstead Village NW3

The original Everyman cinema...

The Empire Leicester Square

The country´s biggest screen measuring 18.26 x 8.14 metres and seating 1,330 people. Read more here.

The Lexi Cinema

194B Chamerlayne Road, Kensal Rise, NW10


The UK’s first social enterprise independent boutique digital cinema – that ticks quite a few boxes, doesn’t it? We donate 100% of our profits to charity and are staffed predominantly by passionate local volunteers. We like to think we’re improving the quality of life for everyone in our little corner of northwest London and at the same time making a difference to the quality of life for a very different community on the other side of the world.

Screen on the Green

83 Upper Street, N 1 T: Angel

Opened in October 1913 this Everyman Media Group Cinema has 120 luxury armchair seats with foot-rests. Read more here.

(Photo below)

The Swedenborg Society Cinema

Bloomsbury Way, WC1  T:Holborn


The Swedenborg Film Season is an annual showcase of cinematic work, relevant to the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg. Film screenings take place in grade-II-listed Swedenborg Hall, creating a uniquely atmospheric experience. Admission is free. Read more here.

The Cinema Museum

The Museum is available most days for visits by guided tour but it is essential that these are booked in advance by phone or email as volunteer guides need to be arranged. Please contact us (020 7840 2200 info@cinemamuseum.org.uk) in advance to arrange a time to suit you. At the moment it is only possible to view the Museum collection with a guided tour.


The Cinema Museum is located in Kennington, close to the Elephant and Castle.

Address: The Master’s House, 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road), London SE11 4TH

Gala Bingo Club

50 Mitcham Road, Tooting SW17

Formerly the Granada Tooting cinema in the borough of Wandsworth. Now used as a Bingo Club. This is a Grade I building well worth a visit. (The Rolling Stones and the Beatles have performed here).

Insitute of Light

London Fields, Arch 376, 10 Helmsley Place E 8

Hackney´s newest collaborative space - a one-stop cultural hub set in an enigmatic railway arch and intimate courtyard under the rumble of the old "Great Eastern Jazz Line.

London Film Festival

The London Film Festival is one good reason to travel to London in October each year.

Read more here.

Ritzy Picturehouse

Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, SW2


The main auditorium retains magnificent Edwardian plasterwork with swagged ceiling ribs and paneled walls, as well as the original proscenium arch. Opened in 1911 and is a Grade II Listed building.

Read more here.

London Film Walks and Tours

Did you know that London is the third busiest production center in the world, after Los Angeles and New York!


London Film Locations Walk

A 2 hour guided walking tour through the heart of the capital.


Free Harry Potter Walking Tour

Want to hear more about Harry, Ron, Hermione and the gang on a magical Harry Potter tour? If so, be sure to join us for a walk to learn more about the locations which inspired J.K. Rowling’s magical world of Harry Potter.


Harry Potter Walking Tour

Take a Harry Potter 2 hour  walking tour into the magical world of wizardry in London.  ping for children.


Harry Potter Film Locations Tour


Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour

A 2 hour walking tour of locations and real inspirations for the book and screen adventures of Sherlock Holmes.


The Alfred Hitchcock London Locations Walk

A 3 hour walk with Sandra Shevey.


You will find lots of other film tours at Britmovietours

London Movie & TV Tours

Great Movie Tours

The Original London Walks


A list of Cinemas in London here.

The Coronet

103 Notting Hill Gate, W11

The Coronet will close for a period of time to allow the venue to receive some much needed renovation, and will re-open to cinema and theatre audiences in Autumn 2014. This means completely restoring this beautiful historic building, which started life in 1898 as a Victorian theatre and which has seen performances from legendary artists like Ellen Terry and Sarah Bernhardt.

Prince Charles Cinema

Just off Leicester Square

This Cinema has some really good sing-a-long events. Look here for details.

The Castle Cinema

First floor, 64-66 Brooksby´s Walk, Hackney E9

The Castle Cinema has seen numerous changes, and been many things to many people, since it was first built more than 100 years ago...

Phoenix Cinema

52 High Road, East Finchley N2

The Phoenix Cinema is an independent single screen community cinema in East Finchley, London, England. It was built in 1910 and opened in 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome. It is one of the oldest continuously-running cinemas in the UK and shows mainly art-house films.