Rainbow Theatre

Ken Roe on January 6, 2004 at 4:01 pm

The Cinema Theatre Association in the UK is organising a “Films Return to the Astoria” evening on Saturday 28th February 2004 at 8pm.
The classic Billy Wilder film “Sunset Boulevard” will be the first feature film to be screened in this landmark cinema building since it closed as a full time cinema 33 years ago in September 1971. After closing, it became The Rainbow Theatre, famed for its many rock and pop concerts. It lay empty and deserted for almost 15 years until the current occupants the Universal Chuch of the Kingdom of God took control and in recent years have restored the building to its original ‘atmospheric’ splendour. The Astoria is located in North London close by to Finsbury Park tube station (Piccadilly Line/Victoria Line) and Main line rail station.

David on November 1, 2001 at 8:47 am

I’m surprised no-one has written in to you about this cinema and its sister venue, the Brixton Astoria as they are both fantastic ‘Atmospheric’ cinemas and both in reasonable condition.

The Finsbury Park Astoria was opened on 29 Sept. 1930 and was for a while the Rainbow Theatre made famous by David Bowies Ziggy Stardust concerts in the 1970’s. It is now a church (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God…I think!) and is being fully restored.

The Brixton Astoria was opened on 19 August 1929 and is reckoned to be the first fully fledged atmospheric in Britain. Again a fantastic interior which could do with a bit of TLC – the outside has recently been restored – now a concert venue called the Brixton Academy, it is well used and I’ve been to some great clubs down there.

Both cinemas are well documented in the UK by people with more facts at their fingertips than me – I just love visiting them, especially as they are both very much alive & kicking rather than museum pieces or worse…car parks!

Best, David