Ritzy Picturehouse

The Ritzy has a long and magnificent history having remained open as a cinema since opening on 24th March 1911 as the Electric Pavilion, designed by architects E.C Homer & Lucas. It has outlasted its local competition (the fabulous Accademy, former Astoria Theatre with its superb atmospheric interior). The seating capacity was 800 in 1937 when it was known as the Brixton Pavilion Cinema.

The Ritzy has been through a lot of tough times but after restoration of the exterior in 1994 and a further four screens with bar and cafe being built alongside (on the site of the WWII bombed Brixton Theatre). Its fortunes have seen a total reverse from the 1970’s when it was nearly demolished.

The Ritzy is now part of the Picturehouse group who run many of London’s best independent arthouse cinemas, and was voted by Time Out readers as London’s second favorite cinema in 2001, the Ritzy programme covers the best of quality mainstream to arthouse and documentary programmes, it also has one of only three DLP digital projectors in the UK (the others being at Manchester Filmworks and the Odeon Leicester Square)

The main auditorium retains magnificent Edwardian plasterwork with swagged ceiling ribs and panelled walls, as well as the original proscenium arch, and now seats 346 due to extra spacing betweens rows and larger seats. The four new screens have seating for 174, 113, 108 and 52.

The Ritzy Picturehouse is a Grade II Listed building.

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