The Rialto Cinema was originally built in 1930 by the Chrysochou Brothers and was the first modern, by the standards of the age, cinema in Cyprus. Hosting both film as well as theatre productions, it remained a lively focal point in the cultural life of Limassol for nearly fifty years. Facing first the rise of television and video, followed by the social upheaval brought about by the 1974 invasion that split Cyprus in two, the cinema fell into disuse and finally closed its doors to the public in the mid-1980’s.
And while other old cinemas were being levelled and the old city was being sacrificed to the altar of a controversial development programme, the Limassol Cooperative Savings Bank bought the abandoned cinema, in February 1991, subsequently refurbishing and putting it back in operation.
The “new” Rialto, preserving important pieces of its past yet, completed with exceptionally modern equipment and substructures, re-opened its doors to the public in May 15, 1999, with a series of brilliant and moving cultural performances, welcoming audiences with the aid of Mikis Theodorakis, Michalis Kakoyiannis and other distinguished guests from Cyprus and Greece.
The thrill of the first weeks for the return of the historical theatre and of Heroes’ Square to the town and its people has gradually given place to the constant delight and satisfaction of an international public, through the variety of cultural and entertainment possibilities that the organization offers.
Each year hundreds of performances organized inside the theatre and outdoors, attract thousands of spectators, establishing Rialto Theatre as one of the most important cultural institutions of the country.
Zena Palace
This cinema was first established in 1983 and is located in the centre of Nicosia. Zena Palace cinema is one of the last few traditional cinemas in Cyprus with a seating capacity of 600 and the largest screen. It is a cinema equipped with some of the best in revolutionary sound equipment.
