The Best Cinemas in Perth for a Little Taste of Movie Magic

There's always something so special about going to the movies. Picking out your tickets, lining up for buttery hot popcorn and a choc top, and wandering through the dim rows to find your seat all adds to the anticipation and excitement of watching a film you've been waiting ages to see. Whether it's for date night or as a fun weekend activity, a trip to the movies rarely disappoints.

Catering to everyone from film buffs to casual viewers, the best cinemas in Perth offer unique experiences, world-class sound, iconic architecture, and year-round festivals. The only choice left is: which one do you visit first?

Somerville Auditorium

Sommerville Auditorium may only be open November through to April, but we think that makes this cinema a whole lot more special. This outdoor cinema in Perth has been screening films for over 70 years during the Perth Festival, bringing likeminded audiences together through captivating theatre. Tickets are general admission, so you can arrive early to snag one of the seats, or bring your own cushion and pick a perfectly pleasant patch of grass to watch the film from. Lotterywest also has a number of cushions available if you forget yours.

35 Stirling Highway, Crawley

Readings Cinemas Belmont

Readings Cinemas Belmont offers a contemporary cinema experience with an old-school feel. The exterior gives off a nostalgic vibe, with its bold red sign against a grey backdrop, but once you step inside the cinema, you'll be greeted with reclining chairs and luxurious comfort. If you want to turn things up a notch, experience the Readings Gold Lounge, which features a fully licensed bar and in-cinema service, so you don't have to miss out on any of the action. 

Want to view every single detail of the film on an even larger screen? The Titan XC cinema experience is exactly what you're after; Readings' biggest screen combined with explosive sound, it's an immersive experience you won't want to pass up.

237 Knutsford Avenue, Belmont

Rooftop Movies 

No list of best cinemas in Perth would be complete without including Rooftop Movies in the mix. Perched high above the bustling streets of Northbridge, this fun, open-air cinema takes movie night to another level (literally).

Sink into a plush beanbag, grab a drink from the bar and soak up the energy and atmosphere of this unique cinema space. As the sun sets, settle in to watch the exciting selection of blockbuster hits, cult classics, and indie gems, with the twinkling city skyline perfectly setting the mood. 

68 Roe Street, Perth 

Palace Cinemas Raine Square 

On the top level of the Raine Square centre, the luxury Palace Cinemas complex features nine traditional cinemas and four Palace Platinum boutique screens, all fitted with leather reclining seats handmade in Spain. The Palace Raine Square is a sophisticated, unique architectural space with four bespoke bars, and a cinema rooftop terrace overlooking the Yagan Square and the nightlife of the city.

Top Floor, Raine Square, 300 Murray Street, Perth 

The Backlot

You'll feel like a superstar when attending a private viewing at The Backlot, Perth's only screening room purpose-built for an intimate audience of 50. Who knows which celebrity you could sit next to at an industry event or how popular you'll be if you're hosting a private screening for your nearest and dearest? Set within an industrial enclave in the CBD, the juxtaposition of the glamour within makes the experience all the more exclusive.

21 Simpson Street, Perth

Luna Leederville

Retaining all the grandeur of the Art Deco era, it's easy to imagine the fanfare that once occurred when Luna Leederville opened in 1927 to a star-spangled audience. Today, this iconic cinema is part of Luna Palace Cinemas and is revered for its art-house movies, film festivals and interactive events, including outdoor screenings during the warmer months.

Taking pride of place on the corner of Oxford and Vincent in Leederville, it's easy to make a day or night of it with so many nearby delicious dining options, especially if you're up for a movie marathon thanks to their back-to-back daily screenings.

Sitchu Tip: Catch all the latest and greatest documentary films here.

155 Oxford Street, Leederville

Windsor Cinema

Also run under the Luna Palace family, the Windsor Cinema in Nedlands has been restored to its Art Deco grandeur. Since its opening in 1937, with the latest technology of a moveable projector for screenings in the adjacent gardens, the Windsor is a local favourite and attracts movie-goers across the metropolitan area for art house movies and film festivals.

Sitchu Tip: Joining the Luna Palace Cinema Club or purchasing a gift card gives members discounted tickets, offers, prizes and the warm fuzzies that they're supporting the art of movie-making.

98 Stirling Highway, Nedlands

Galaxy Drive-in Theatre

Get retro with the latest releases at the Galaxy Drive-In Theatre – Perth's last remaining drive-in. Since you're cocooned in the privacy of your car, no one will care while you snuggle up in your comfies. The drive-ins are a great option for families too as Tuesday nights are bargain nights at $22 per car.

Sitchu Tip: Bring the little ones as under four-year-olds are always free. 

157-167 Goollelal Drive, Kingsley

Sun Pictures Broome

You can't visit Broome without watching a movie at what the Guiness World Records has declared to be the world's oldest outdoor picture garden. Movies are screened year-round regardless of the weather at Sun Pictures Broome, sometimes even during tidal flooding – it's all part of the cinema experience.

Built at the turn of the century in 1903, it once served as an Asian emporium catering to Broome's multicultural community before its transformation into a cinema a decade later.

8 Carnarvon Street, Broome

Orana Cinema Busselton

While fairly unassuming throughout much of the year, Busselton's Orana Cinema heaves during August and September when the annual CinefestOZ Film Festival descends on the Margaret River Region. As industry professionals and A-listers flock into town, it's highly likely you'll be mingling among the very stars exuding enchantment on the screen.

Sitchu Tip: Orana Cinemas are in other country towns like Albany, Geraldton, Kagloorlie and Merredin so movie magic is never far away from these rural communities.

27 Albert Street, Busselton

Betty Terry Community Theatre

What was originally built to supply the sleepy Wheatbelt town of Wagin with electricity in 1914 was converted decades later into a cinema by Frank Terry, originally named the Little Gem Theatre. And what a gem it is with its cosy interior and art nouveau façade. While the latest releases are screened weekly at Betty Terry Community Theatre, live acts keep the community spirit alive in this charming town famed for its giant ram honouring its agricultural heritage.

6 Trent Street, Wagin

Given the many streaming options enjoyed from our lounge rooms, it's not entirely surprising some of the best cinemas in Perth have closed, such as the Art Deco Piccadilly Cinema and Cygnet Cinema.

However, we're hopeful the rumours are true that these treasures will reopen in a style as grand as their architecture, like the Liberty Theatre recently used during the Perth Festival and Astor Theatre transformed as a live performance venue.

Check out our other cultural fixes around Perth and our monthly guide for an eclectic mix of fun and frivolity.