Cinemas

Cinemas

Glasgow is a city of cinema lovers. It was once known as Cinema City, owing to the fact that during cinema’s boom years in the 30s and 40s, Glasgow had more cinemas per citizen than any other city in the world. Like all towns and cities across the land, the numbers of Glasgow cinemas have diminished, but Glasgow residents still clearly love a night down the pictures.

The heart of Glasgow’s cinema-love is the Glasgow Film Theatre (or GFT as it’s commonly known), which inhabits the site of the Cosmo Cinema which opened its doors to the ‘discriminating’ film goer for the first time in 1939. The independent cinema recently expanded to three screens, and here you you’ll find the latest classics of world cinema and contemporary art house films, from Pedro Almodóvar to Michael Haneke to Hou Hsiao-Hsien.

GFT is also where you’ll find great classic films on the big screen, with repertory screenings and special seasons throughout the year. Cult cinema is also big at GFT, and you’ll find late night screenings happening at the cinema every month.

GFT is also the home to Glasgow Film Festival, which takes place every February and has grown to be the third biggest film festival in the UK. Recent guests have included Joss Whedon, Richard Ayoade and Terry Gilliam, and Glasgow Film Festival has also become well-known for its special site-specific screenings in unusual venues across the city, including Jaws in the hull of a ship and The Warriors in one of Glasgow’s underground stations.

Glasgow’s other independent cinema is the Grosvenor Cinema, located on Ashton Lane in the west end. Famed for its comfy sofas, it’s a great venue for an intimate date. The cinema also holds all night screenings and special double bills of classic movies, and it’s the Glasgow home of cult horror night All Night Horror Madness.

If you’re after the latest mainstream releases, you can’t go wrong with Cineworld on Renfrew Street. It’s the world’s tallest cinema, the largest cinema in Europe in terms of seats, and the UK’s busiest cinema, so it always has a great selection of the latest releases. Like the GFT and Grosvenor, it also has a bar, but unlike those two cinemas, you can’t take drinks into the screening.

We’ve curated the best guide to Glasgow cinema listings. If you’re organising an event or spot any information which needs listing or updating, let us know by contacting events@theskinny.co.uk with the event and venue details.