Ritzy Picturehouse
A historic multi-screen cinema and cultural venue in Brixton, London.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Ritzy Picturehouse is a historic cinema in Brixton, south London, England. Although its official contemporary name is Ritzy Picturehouse, it is still widely known as the Ritzy Cinema or simply the Ritzy. The venue occupies a Grade II listed building and is significant both as an early purpose-built cinema and as a long-standing cultural institution in Brixton. The building opened on 11 March 1911 as the Electric Pavilion. It was designed and built by E. C. Homer and Lucas for Israel Davis, a member of a family associated with early cinema development. The original venue had a single auditorium with more than 750 seats and, in keeping with many cinemas of the period, included an organ. It was initially regarded as less prestigious than the nearby Palladium and acquired the unflattering local nickname “the flea pit.” In 1913 it was renamed the Brixton Pavilion, and it began screening sound films in 1929. The cinema’s physical development was shaped by events in the surrounding neighbourhood. When the neighbouring Brixton Theatre was destroyed by bombing in 1940, the Ritzy was able to expand into the vacated space. In 1954, cinema architect George Coles carried out a major refurbishment, introducing CinemaScope. The venue was renamed the Pullman, and its organ was removed. From 1964 it formed part of the Classic cinema chain and was later known as the Classic. It closed in 1976, creating a serious threat of demolition. The building was saved in 1978 and reopened as The Little Bit Ritzy through a collaboration involving the London Cinema Collective and Lambeth Council. The project helped preserve the building while repositioning it as an arthouse cinema. The shortened name The Ritzy soon became customary. During the 1980s, the cinema developed a reputation for politically progressive programming, although its management reportedly felt compelled to reassure potential customers that its entire programme was not exclusively left-wing or gay-themed. In 1991, the cinema was sold to Oasis Cinemas Group, a division of the Island Group owned by PolyGram. Oasis also operated the Gate Cinema in Notting Hill Gate and The Cameo in Edinburgh. The Ritzy closed in May 1993 for a reported £4.5 million redevelopment and reopened on 29 September 1995. The work refurbished the principal auditorium and added four screens, transforming the venue into a multi-screen operation while retaining its historic identity. City Screen acquired Picturehouse Cinemas in 2003, and Cineworld bought Picturehouse in 2012. The Ritzy subsequently operated within the Picturehouse circuit. An investment by Albion Ventures in Picturehouse in 1999 had supported the development of several cinemas, including the Ritzy. In 2009, the venue’s decoration and colour scheme were restored toward the building’s original style, and an upstairs live-music venue was added. Today, Ritzy Picturehouse combines film exhibition with bar, café, and live-event facilities. Its programme and setting reflect both the commercial role of a modern multiplex and the venue’s history as an arthouse and community-oriented cinema. The cinema has also been associated with a high-profile labour dispute concerning pay, union recognition, London Living Wage demands, and the dismissal of union representatives. That dispute made the venue a prominent site of debate about employment conditions in the UK cinema industry.
History
Ritzy Picturehouse occupies a Grade II listed cinema building in Brixton, London, whose history reaches back to the earliest period of purpose-built film exhibition in England. The venue opened on 11 March 1911 as the Electric Pavilion. E. C. Homer and Lucas constructed it for Israel Davis, a cinema developer from a prominent family in the field. The original auditorium held more than 750 people and included an organ, a feature common in cinemas before the arrival of synchronized sound. The building was initially viewed as a less fashionable neighbour to the Palladium and was colloquially called the “flea pit.” In 1913 the cinema became the Brixton Pavilion. It entered the sound-film era in 1929. Its later physical expansion was partly a consequence of wartime destruction: the neighbouring Brixton Theatre was destroyed by bombing in 1940, allowing the cinema to use the adjoining vacant space. A substantial modernization followed in 1954 under the direction of cinema architect George Coles. The refurbishment introduced CinemaScope and removed the organ, and the cinema was renamed the Pullman. The venue became part of the Classic cinema chain in 1964 and was subsequently known as the Classic. It closed in 1976, when demolition appeared possible. Preservation efforts succeeded in 1978, when the building reopened as The Little Bit Ritzy through cooperation between the London Cinema Collective, Lambeth Council, and the management of the period. The cinema adopted the shorter name The Ritzy and developed a stronger arthouse identity. Its programming during the 1980s was associated locally with progressive and left-wing politics, contributing to a distinctive cultural reputation. Ownership changed again in 1991, when the cinema was sold to Oasis Cinemas Group, a PolyGram-owned division of the Island Group. Oasis also operated the Gate Cinema in Notting Hill Gate and The Cameo in Edinburgh. The Ritzy closed in May 1993 for a major redevelopment costing a reported £4.5 million. It reopened on 29 September 1995 with a renovated principal screen and four additional screens, establishing the multi-screen format that characterizes the venue today. Picturehouse’s development also formed part of the cinema’s corporate history. Albion Ventures invested £8 million in Picturehouse in 1999, helping to finance the development of several cinemas, including the Ritzy. City Screen acquired Picturehouse Cinemas in 2003. Cineworld then bought Picturehouse in 2012, making the Ritzy part of one of the United Kingdom’s largest cinema groups while preserving its local Picturehouse identity. Further work in 2009 restored the interior decoration and colour scheme toward the building’s original appearance. An upstairs live-music venue was also introduced, broadening the site’s role beyond conventional film exhibition. The modern Ritzy Picturehouse includes multiple screens, a bar and café, and spaces for live events. The cinema has additionally played a prominent role in labour organizing within the UK exhibition sector. A dispute involving pay and union recognition developed over a number of years, later focusing on demands that staff receive the London Living Wage. BECTU, the union representing cinema workers, was eventually recognized after legal proceedings and negotiations. Strike action resumed during the 2010s, including after representatives were dismissed. Public support came from figures including Ian McKellen, Ken Loach, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Garfield, and John McDonnell. Employment tribunals later found the dismissals of the union representatives to have been unfair. This labour history has become an important part of the Ritzy’s public identity alongside its architectural and programming heritage.
- 2012
Cineworld acquired Picturehouse
[1]Cineworld bought Picturehouse Cinemas, bringing the Ritzy into the Cineworld group.
- 2009
Interior restoration and live venue added
[1]The cinema’s decoration and colours were restored toward their original style, and an upstairs live-music venue was introduced.
- 2003
Picturehouse acquired by City Screen
[1]City Screen acquired Picturehouse Cinemas, which then operated the Ritzy.
- 1999
Picturehouse investment
[1]Albion Ventures invested in Picturehouse to support the development of several cinemas, including the Ritzy.
- 1995
Reopened as a multi-screen cinema
[1]The venue reopened on 29 September with a refurbished main screen and four additional screens.
- 1993
Closed for redevelopment
[1]The cinema closed in May for an extensive redevelopment.
- 1991
Sold to Oasis Cinemas Group
[1]The cinema entered the Oasis Cinemas Group, a PolyGram-owned division of the Island Group.
- 1978
Reopened as The Little Bit Ritzy
[1]A preservation and cultural initiative reopened the building as an arthouse cinema in collaboration with the London Cinema Collective and Lambeth Council.
- 1976
Closure
[1]The cinema closed, and its future became threatened by possible demolition.
- 1964
Joined the Classic cinema chain
[1]The venue became part of the Classic chain and was later operated under the Classic name.
Products and positioning
A historic, community-facing London cinema that combines mainstream exhibition with independent, arthouse, and cultural programming in a landmark Brixton venue.
Film exhibition
Cinema screenings
The core offering is multi-screen film exhibition. The Ritzy combines commercially released films with independent, arthouse, and culturally oriented programming, reflecting its history as both a local cinema and a specialist film venue.
Cinema and cultural programming
Special screenings and cultural events
The venue supports screenings and events beyond the standard feature-film schedule. Its Picturehouse identity and historic arthouse reputation position it as a site for community-facing cultural activity as well as routine cinema attendance.
Hospitality
Bar and café
Bar and café facilities complement the cinema operation, allowing the venue to function as a social destination before and after screenings and during cultural events.
Live entertainment · 2009
Upstairs live-music venue
Added during the 2009 restoration, the upstairs space expanded the Ritzy’s role into live music and helped reinforce its position as a broader Brixton cultural venue rather than solely a film-screening site.
Brand decisions
2009
Restoration and expansion into live entertainmentStrategyBackground
The venue sought to reinforce its historic identity while broadening its role within Brixton’s cultural life.
Action taken
The interior decoration and colour scheme were restored toward the original style, and an upstairs live-music venue was added.
Aftermath
The cinema gained an additional cultural-events function alongside its film programme.
1993
Major redevelopment into a multi-screen venueStrategyBackground
After changes in ownership and the cinema’s closure in 1976, the venue required substantial investment to secure a contemporary operating model.
Action taken
The cinema closed for redevelopment in May 1993 and reopened in September 1995 with a renovated main screen and four new screens.
Aftermath
The Ritzy emerged as a multi-screen cinema while retaining its historic building and arthouse associations.
Reported redevelopment cost. £4.5 million (1993-1995)
1954
Conversion for CinemaScopeGeneration changeBackground
Widescreen formats were becoming important to cinema exhibition, prompting a substantial modernization of the venue.
Action taken
George Coles refurbished the cinema, installed CinemaScope, removed the organ, and oversaw its renaming as the Pullman.
Aftermath
The cinema continued operating in a modernized format and later became part of the Classic chain.
Recent events
- 2017
Ritzy labour dispute continues after union representatives are dismissed[1]
Lawsuit · Other
Strike action continued during a dispute involving BECTU representatives and Picturehouse. Employment tribunals later found that the dismissals of the representatives were unfair, referring to a lack of neutrality during investigation and disciplinary processes.
- 2014
Ritzy cinema workers pursue London Living Wage campaign[1]
Other
Workers at the Ritzy revived a long-running campaign for payment of the London Living Wage. Picturehouse argued that it could not reliably plan around a voluntary wage rate that might change in future, while campaigners said cinema staff should receive the rate in recognition of London living costs.
- 2012
Cineworld acquisition places Picturehouse cinemas under new ownership[1]
M&A
Cineworld acquired Picturehouse Cinemas, placing the Ritzy within the Cineworld group while retaining its Picturehouse operating identity.
Sources2 sources
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