Labia Theatre keeps Cape Town on the global cinema map

One of Cape Town’s most treasured cultural institutions, The Labia Theatre, has slipped down the global ranking of the world’s greatest cinemas - landing at 74 on the new 100 Greatest Cinemas list, compiled by Time Out.

That is a notable drop from 2025, when the historic Gardens cinema ranked 12th among the world’s most beautiful movie houses. The fall in position is hard to ignore, but the Labia’s place on the list at all reinforces its standing as one of the planet’s enduring independent cinemas.

Opened in 1949, the venue began life as a ballroom attached to the Italian Embassy before transforming into the arthouse cinema that Cape Town knows today. Its royal-blue façade, neon tube signage and old-school ticket counters remain a nostalgic nod to old-world cinema charm in the city.

Over the years, the cinema has built a following by championing arthouse classics, cult favourites and niche festivals. That spirit continues today. The theatre remains a central venue for the annual South African Horrorfest. This event has helped establish Cape Town as a home for genre cinema, particularly horror and experimental film.   

“We love seeing interesting and unique movies that you won't get to see under normal circumstances, and hopefully the audience appreciates that as well,” festival organiser and co-founder Paul Blom shared in an interview with Time Out.

The Labia has long been recognised for its editorial independence underpinned by its ethical backbone.

During apartheid, the cinema famously ignored segregationist seating rules, welcoming audiences of all races in its quiet act of defiance, cementing a reputation as a cultural refuge.

Earlier this year, the cinema again made headlines after a controversial decision by Filmfinity to pull the Melania Trump documentary from local distribution due to debate over its portrayal as a "cleaned-up version" of her story. According to activist Herman Eloff, the decision was “not about censorship, but responsibility" amid a geopolitically charged world. 

Nonetheless, the Labia continues to define the curatorial role of independent cinemas in South Africa today.

Over the years, its audience has been just as eclectic as its programming - including filmgoers Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, and legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog.

For Cape Town cinephiles, the message is simple: watch a film there! Because that's how the Labia has survived for decades - on audiences who still believe the cinema itself is part of the experience.