7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Peter Andren, Stockholm, Sweden. Pictures: I have obtained permission from Björn Alnebo, Hans Karrestam, Kjell Furberg and Richard Letterborn. Christer Sidelöv died a couple of years ago so I can not ask him. | Date: 01.01.2026 |
 Mr Peter Andrén is a
former projectionist and retired locomotive engineer for the national Swedish railway company
(SJ).Long time Stockholm (Sweden) in70mm.com associate Mr Peter Andren is a former projectionist and locomotive engineer for the national Swedish railway company (SJ). Since retirement a few years ago, Peter and his friends have been busy keeping the independent Biograf & TV Museum (Cinema Museum) [biografmuseet.se] going in Säter, almost 200 km north west of Stockholm. The museum even has a complete 3-strip Cinerama installation! I think it is fair to say that Peter belongs in a group of Swedish cinema enthusiasts who know just about everything there is to know about cinemas and projectors in Sweden. One example of his encyclopaedic knowledge is his detailed information about projectors. As an example, Peter has maintained the list of DP70s in Sweden up-to-date since the early 1990s. I visited Peter in Stockholm once many years ago, when he took me on a tour through cinemas of the city. I took several pictures, most of which have not yet been seen here in the pages of in70mm.com - until now. On this page Peter has kindly been persuaded provide an overview of Stockholm's rich cinema history, especially cinemas which had the Philips DP70 projector installed. For those interested, there is a very interesting photo-book by Kjell Furberg, 'Cinema Theaters in Sweden' with many priceless photos of the theaters of Sweden in the late 1990s. Book was published by Prisma in 2000 (Available at Amazon). Thomas Hauerslev, editor, in70mm.com • Go to gallery 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm Peter & Friend's collection of pictures with permission from Björn Alnebo, Hans Karrestam, Kjell Furberg and Richard Letterborn. • Go to gallery Neon and DP70s in Stockholm |
More in 70mm reading: Gallery 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm Peter & Friend's collection of pictures Gallery Neon and DP70s in Stockholm Vinterpalatset A Story of Magnificence, Proud and Mourned 70mm, Cinerama and Cinemiracle shown in Sweden "Tenet" i 70mm Cinemateket Stockholm DP70s in Sweden in70mm.com News Peripheral Vision, Scopes, Dimensions and Panoramas in70mm.com's Library Presented on the big screen in 7OMM 7OMM and Cinema Across the World Now showing in 70mm in a theatre near you! 70mm Retro - Festivals and Screenings |
Stockholm Cinemas with DP70s |
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 The
Focus
Theatre, Hagsätra / Bandhagen around 7 km south west of Stockholm city
center. Featured 70mm projection with Prevost 70 projectors. The Focus is
closed. Picture by Thomas Hauerslev• Astoria • BioPalatset • China Theateren • Filmstaden Sergel • Filmstaden Söder • Bio Victor / Filmhuset • Ricardo • Park • Palladium • Ri-Tvåan • Rigoletto • RItz • Riviera • Röda Kvarn • Royal • Saga • Sandrew • Sergel • Skandia • Victoria • Vinterpalatset • Go to DP70s in Sweden • Go to 70mm, Cinerama and Cinemiracle shown in Sweden |
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Location of RI cinemas in Stockholm |
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 Location
of RI cinemas fold-out maps in Stockholm around 1970 |
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 Location
of RI cinemas in Stockholm around 1970 |
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Astoria Stockholm |
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 Astoria Stockholm. Picture by Thomas HauerslevAstoria opened on 8 September 1928 by Mr. Anders Sandrew. [Mr Sandrew became one of the most prominent theatre operators in Sweden. His business evolved into a cinema circuit with many cinemas in Stockholm and all over Sweden. His company also operated live theatres in Stockholm plus a film production studio.] The Astoria auditorium had 820 seats, including the balcony, and the stage area was designed to accommodate live shows. In 1959 a major rebuild took place including the removal of the balcony and raising the rear part of the ground floor seating creating a steeper slope, providing an excellent view. The seating capacity dropped to 678 seats. In the projection room, all equipment was replaced. In went Philips DP70 projectors (1360 & 1363) with Super 70 arclamps and AGA 6-channel amplifiers. On the stage a new screen was installed, allowing a 70mm image 11,5 m (37.7 ft) wide. Also five new AGA loudspeakers were put in. Over the years Astoria became, along with the Royal, the prestige cinema of the Sandrews circuit, with many important premieres. In 2005, Astoria was taken over by Astoria Cinemas, a newly formed company. Sadly it soon fell into bankruptcy, and in 2007 the cinema closed. The projectors were moved to a cinema in the southern part of Sweden but never installed and later scrapped. After closing, Astoria was rebuilt into a restaurant. |
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Nya RItz Stockholm |
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 RItz
DP70 projectors. Photo: UnknownRItz opened 1929 as "Vidi", but was 1930 taken over by AB RIteatrarna as their second cinema in Stockholm and the name was changed to RItz. In the beginning of 1958 a major renovation took place and the name became Nya RItz (The New RItz) which opened 24 January with 512 seats. The opening film was "Around the World in 80 Days" in 35mm anamorphic and stereophonic sound. Riteatrana company was an early-adopter when it came to new technologies like 3-D, CinemaScope and stereophonic sound so, in 1959 it was decided to go for 70mm. The Swedish company AGA, which was the largest manufacturer of cinema equipment in Scandinavia, made the installation comprising Philips DP70 projectors and AGA's own sound system. There was a lengthy discussion with Philips regarding the lamps: AGA wanted to use standard arclamps like Magnarcs or Enarcs because the screen was only 8,45 m (27.7 ft) wide but Philips insisted on high current, rotating positive arcs. Philips won and so Gaumont-Kalee / Mole Richardsson lamps were ordered. On 7 April 1959 the first Todd-AO show premiered here in Sweden, that film being “South Pacific", includign the short ”The Miracle of Todd-AO”. Over the years Nya RItz became synonymous with big 70mm premieres. But 1980s were hard on cinemas in Sweden, and in September 1983 the last performance took place. After closing, the premises housed a church, then a studio and now offices. The projectors were moved to Rigoletto Stockholm where they still are in operation. |
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RIbo / RI-tvåan Stockholm |
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 Newspaper
ad for the opening of RI-tvåanThis cinema opened as "Capitol" in July 1926 by Mr. John Bergendahl, but was sold to AB Svensk Filmindustri, SF, in 1929. There were 629 seats, including a small balcony. Capitol once again faced new owners in 1959 when AB Riteatrarna took over. A complete replacement of projection equipment took place, including Philips DP70 projectors (1354 & 1355), Super70 arc lamps and AGA amplifiers. When screening 70mm films, the image was 9.8 m (32ft) wide. Reopening was held on 26. December 1959, under the new name RIbo. Just like RIcardo 2 weeks earlier, the opening film was "Around the World in 80 Days" in 35mm anamorphic. This movie stayed with RIbo for a long time: it was not until 30. January 1961 a 70mm film, “Can-Can”, a move over from RItz, hit the screen. Next door to Ribo was a small cinema, Påfågeln (The Peacock) that was taken over by AB Riteatrana 1968. Some alterations regarding entrances were made resulting in a common boxoffice for the two cinemas thus creating Swedens first Twin-Cinema named RI-ettan and RI-tvåan (RI-one and RI-two) which opened on 2. October 1968 with free admission for a 70mm screening of "The Sound of Music". Seating was now 556 in RI-tvåan and 238 in RI-ettan. RI-tvåan (RIbo) closed 2 June 1985. The DP70 projectors were sold to Filmpalatset Bromölla, a cinema in southern Sweden. After the closure the premises were used for live performances, a TV studio and other activities. In 2018 the cinema reopened under it's original name Capitol, today with four screens. |
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RIcardo Stockholm |
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 RIcardo opened as "Rio" 1928 by Mr, John Bergendahl who
at the time owned a few cinemas in
Stockholm. One year later he sold his cinemas and Rio was taken over by
AB Svensk Filmindustri, or SF for short. SF was the biggest film producer in
Sweden and they also had the major circuit of cinemas all over the country.
In 1933 they invited cinemagoers to come up with a new name for Rio since there
were a number of cinemas in Stockholm owned by AB Riteatrarna, with names
starting with the letters RI which could lead to confusion regarding
ownership. "Garbio" was the winning name for 2 reasons: to honor actress Greta
Garbo and the fact that bio is short for "biograf" which means cinema in
Swedish. In 1959 SF closed Garbio and it was acquired by AB Riteatrarna who
changed the name to RIcardo and started a renovation including installing
70mm equipment. The original projection room was located just under the roof, resulting in a very steep down-angle for projection not suitable for large format projection, so a new one was built at the back of the balcony. DP70 projectors (933 & 935) with Super70 arc lamps and AGA sound was installed. The number of seats was reduced from 1002 to 717. 70mm films were projected at a width of 13.2 m (43,3 ft). Opening was on 14. November 1959 with the film "Around the World in 80 Days", not 70mm but a 35 mm print. The first 70mm screening was “Solomon and Sheba”, a move over from RItz on 18 April 1960. In 1965 the film "The Sound of Music" was announced to premiere at RIviera, which at that time still only 35mm. In 1963 the theatre had been considered for 70mm conversion. In 1963 the Riviera cinema in Stockholm was considered for 70mm conversion. In February 1963 Philips made a proposal for all the equipment, but it is unknown if it was ordered then. By the time the order was finally placed to upgrade the RIviera's projectors, Philips was unable to supply in time, so it was decided to pull RIcardos projectors out and move them to Riviera. A pair of standard 35mm machines were installed at RIcardo and put in service until a new pair of DP70 (2299 & 2300) arrived from Holland. It's not clear when this occurred. RIcardo closed 31. October 1984 and the projectors were moved to Saga Stockholm. Today RIcardo's premises is the home of Folkoperan (The Folk's Opera). |
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Palladium Stockholm |
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 The
only photo I've found of Palladium during the DP70 years. The British
Autoarc was tested for an unknown period at Palladium. Picture: UnknownThe Palladium opened in December 1918 with 1240 sets and was considered superior to it's competitors. By the beginning of 1929, sound by Western Electric was installed, the first time in Stockholm. Palladium served as a first-run cinema in the 1930s and 40s, showing many blockbusters, for instance most films with Greta Garbo. By the end of 1960, Palladium had been modernised including Philips DP70 projectors (1346 & 1348), Italian Fulgor arclamps and Philips sound. The screen allowed the 70mm image to be projected at a width of 14.6 m (49 ft) making it the second largest in Stockholm, surpassed only by Vinterpalatset. The first film to be run on the DP70s was “The Ten Commandments”, 35mm print, on 26. December 1960. First 70mm presentation took place on 27. September 1963, the film being "55 Days at Peking". During the late 1970's the cinema began losing it's popularity, so it was closed on 25. January 1987. The projectors were moved to Spegeln Helsingborg. This cinema closed in 1994 and once again the projectors were moved, to Fontänen Vällingby - which closed 2007. Today 1346 is on display at Björklidens gårdsmuseum Ljusterö and 1348 is used in a private home cinema just south of Stockholm. |
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Victoria Stockholm |
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 Victoria
opened 18 September 1936, another project by Mr. Anders Sandrew. With 1057 seats it was the
largest in his chain of cinemas. It had a 3-level foyer, with street level being
the middle one, housing the boxoffice. The lower level, with entrances to the
stall area, had two fountains with bronze sculptures and doors with inlays
showing an actress and a cinematographer. At the top level was the entrance
to the balcony. The projection room housed two AEG Mechau machines in which
the film moved continuously, i.e. there was no intermittent mechanism. A large
rotating drum containing oscillating mirrors replaced the intermittent.
These projectors were replaced within a few years.By 1962 it was a fact that 70mm films were being released at an increasing rate. For the premiere of "El Cid" on 2 April that year, Victoria had installed Philips DP70 projectors (1844 & 1845) with Philips standard arclamps. The existing Klangfilm 4-track sound system was retained. The DP70s were moved to Aveny Gävle in 1968. Victoria was split lengthways in 1973, the stall area being screen 1 and 2, the balcony becoming screen 3 and 4. Over the years, by acquiring more areas in the building, developments took place resulting in a total of 8 screens. Today Victoria is one of the most successful cinemas in Stockholm. |
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Riviera Stockholm |
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 Riviera
opened in October 1920 as "Rivoli" by Mr. John Bergendahl, as a combined cinema
/ live theatre with 756 seats, including a small balcony. By spring 1931 Rivoli was taken over by Riteatrarna AB who renovated it and installed
sound. The name was changed to Riviera. More renovations were done in the
late 30's and 40's. By 1964 a major makeover had to be done as the cinema was very worn. Not only the auditorium, but also the projection had to be upgraded. Two DP70 projectors were ordered from Philips but they could not be delivered in time for the opening of "The Sound of Music", so the DP70s at Ricardo Stockholm (933 & 935) were moved here to Riviera. Philips also supplied new amplifiers. Nya Riviera (the "New Riviera") opened on 2 September 1964. The seating capacity was now reduced to 383 seats. The first 70mm film was not shown until 1 November 1965, when “The Agony and the Ecstasy” premiered, image size being 10.2 m (33,4 ft) wide. A few weeks later, on 9 December, "The Sound of Music" premiered at Riviera. This film became very popular and remained on screen there for almost three years. Many theatres were closed in the 1980s but Riviera managed to survive into the 2000s. On 31 March 2003, the last performance took place. An unadvertised 70mm film was screened for cinema employees. During the following days, the premises were cleared and the dismantled projectors were placed in the foyer to be picked up later. During one night there was a break in and the boxes containing all small accessories, including all 35mm parts, were stolen. The projectors went into storage, but since the missing parts were never found, the machines were scrapped some years later. |
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Sergelteatern / Filmstaden Sergel |
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 The Sergel
Theatre in Stockholm. Picture by Thomas HauerslevSergelteatern opened on 13 April 1959 as the last of the old single screen cinemas to be built in Stockholm; a new cinema had not been built in 15 years! It had 875 seats, including a small balcony, and was operated by Sveriges Folkbiografer, a circuit responsible for the film programming of many cinemas in small towns and villages across the country. Siegel's design included a large stage area and all equipment necessary for live theatre performances and shows. There were discussions whether to install 70mm or just CinemaScope, but it was decided 70mm would be too expensive. With 70mm becoming more popular, a conversion to 70mm was inevitable, and for the premiere of "My Fair Lady" on 27 December 1964, a pair of Philips DP70 (1816 & 1817) were installed and the sound system upgraded to 6 channels. When 70mm films are projected the image is 12m (39.3 ft) wide. The standard Philips arclamps were disliked by the projectionists, so one year later they were replaced by Ashcraft Corelites, providing excellent illumination. At some time, projector head 1817 was replaced by 1659 (from Royal Malmö). During 1994/95 13 more auditoriums were built around the original Sergel and the name changed to Filmstaden ("Film City" in English) Sergel. A large area of the original projection room was then needed for other purposes, so it is now nothing more than a walk-in closet. Around 2012 / 2013, the DP70s were removed and sold to a private individual. Projector 1816 was resold to Filmstaden Bergakungen in Gothenburg in 2016. When Skandia cinema in Stockholm, also with DP70 projectors, closed in fall 2023, these machines (2182 & 2192) were moved to Filmstaden Sergel where they were installed in the original projection room. |
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Chinateatern |
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 Chinateatern,
Projectionist Peter Andrén on
duty 1976. Picture: Peter AndrenOn 20 October 1928, Chinateatern was opened by Svensk Filmindustri AB (SF). There were 1486 seats including a huge balcony. The interior was heavily influenced by Chinese art and decor. A fully equipped stage house was incorporated in the building to allow for live shows. There was also an orchestra area for 20 musicians. In the ceiling were a large number of stars made up of a prism and a small lightbulbs. These stars could be switched to create different constellations. The management of Chinateatern was, for some reason, outsourced to Paramount Pictures Sweden from the very start. It was not until 1938 that SF took back full control of Chinateatern. New projection equipment was installed, and the seating capacity reduced to 1253 seats. During summer, Chinateatern was used for variety shows, which continued until the 1960s. In June 1967, all of a sudden, the decision was made to install 70mm. SF had one DP70 (1838) in storage so they ordered another one (2461) from Philips in Holland. Normally projectors were shipped by train, but in this case SF specified transport by air to minimize delivery time. Installation began on 19 June and the cinema reopened on 23 July, on 35mm. The first 70mm film was the Russian "War and Peace" which premiered on 27 March 1968. Image was 14 meters (46 ft) wide. By the end of the 1970s, the cinema along with many of its theatrical brethren, had become less and less profitable, and on 30 December 1980 the last performance took place. The DP70s were moved to Spegeln Uppsala. Today Chinateatern is doing well as a live show/musical stage and conference centre. |
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Skandia / Look / Skandia |
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 Skandia
in 2025. Picture: Lars EkbergSkandia opened by Svensk Filmindustri, SF, on 20 September 1923 with 832 seats. The interior was designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund, the most important 20th century architect of Sweden, well known around the world for a.o. Stockholm City Library and the Forest Cemetery. The interior, labelled as semi-atmospheric, attracted attention far and wide outside of Sweden. 1926 saw the installation of a Wurlitzer organ, one of two in Sweden. Skandia had an organ-player on the payroll until 1948. The organ was played a last time in 1951. In the 1960s the organ was removed and stored. For decades, the components were scattered around Stockholm. In the beginning of 21st century the search for all parts started and in 2005/2006 a society was formed to restore the mighty Wurlitzer. Today the organ is restored and concerts are held now and then. 70mm vas installed for Jacques Tati's film "PlayTime" which premiered on 29 October 1968 in the presence of Mr. Tati himself. The long sides of the balcony were shortened and the screen moved a bit toward the seating area. Zeiss Favorit 70 projectors were installed, along with new sound. At this time, the name of the cinema was changed to "Look", a name that lasted until 1991 when it was changed back to Skandia. 572 new comfortable seats were installed and the Zeiss projectors were replaced by 2 secondhand DP70s (2182 and 2192). In January 1996, SF ceased regular film screenings to concentrate on galas, conferences and pre-shows. This lasted until February 1999, when the Skandia came very close to becoming a restaurant. Luckily, this was dropped by new operators and cinema operations resumed - but not for too long. In July 2000 it was all over again, since the new operators could not pay the high rents. In December 2001 SF returned to Skandia showing films, mostly during weekends, with other days reserved for galas and conferences. During the period 2005 – 2011, restoration work took place, bringing back much of the original interior. SF once again closed Skandia in 2016 for public performances to concentrate on events. By the end of 2023, SF definitely abandoned Skandia but they took the DP70 projectors with them for later installation at Filmstaden Sergel Stockholm. Also in 2023 a crowd funding operation was set up resulting in new life for Skandia, the new operator being Stockholm Filmfestival. In order to again show 70mm films, they purchased two second hand DP70s (1734 and 1768). |
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Royal Stockholm |
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 The
Saga
Theatre in Stockholm. Picture by Thomas HauerslevThe Royal, the foremost cinema of the Sandrew chain, opened on 16 October 1936. It had 916 seats, 650 in the stall area and 266 on the balcony. The stage was fully equipped to allow for live stageshows. There were three curtains, the inner one being used for colorful light effects before performances. During the first years, in the summer, films were replaced by liveshows, "The Royal Variety". The ample projection room housed not only three film projectors but also one effects projector, all of the Zeiss / Ernemann brand, and a large console for the effect lights control. Royal was the last of Stockholms old single screen cinemas to install 70mm. Like the RIgoletto had been, two months earlier, the Royal was equipped with Philips DP75 projectors and Philips OMA6 amplifiers. First 70mm film was "Castle Keep" that premiered on 11 October 1969. In 1973, a complete redesign took place when Royal was split into three auditoria. The stall area became Screen 1 with 491 seats whereas the balcony was divided into Screen 2 and 3, each with 79 seats. The name was changed to Sandrew 1 2 3. A small 4th screen was added beside the foyer in 1981, requiring another name change, Sandrew 1 2 3 4. Two second hand DP70 (1737 and 2511) projectors became available in 1988 and replaced the DP75s. In the early 1990s the small auditorium 4 was closed, and in 1994 the name was changed back to Royal. Just like at the Astoria, the Royal was taken over by the newly formed company Astoria Cinemas in 2005, who changed the name Royal to Astoria Kungsgatan. Astoria Cinemas filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and the cinema closed. The DP70s were put in storage and eventually scrapped. Today a restaurant and bowling hall are now found in the former cinema. |
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Rigoletto |
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 The
RIgoletto Theatre in Stockholm. Picture by Thomas HauerslevThe Rigoletto was the 12th cinema in the chain owned by Riteatrarna in Stockholm. The opening was held on 17 March 1939. There were 1201 seats including the 332 seats in the balcony. In the back of the spacious and luxurious foyer there was a fireplace, an exclusive with the Rigoletto. The interior and technical equipment were first class and the cinema was considered to be the finest in Stockholm. In 1953 a major upgrade of projection gear took place. Four new AGA projectors with mechanical interlock were installed to allow screening of 3-D films without intermission. Documents indicates that 3-channel stereophonic sound was installed with separate 35mm magnetic sound readers. Later that year RIgoletto was the first cinema in Sweden to install CinemaScope with full 4-channel stereophonic sound. The first film ”The Robe” premiered on 18 December 1953. Screen was 14,25 m (46,7 ft) wide. In 1962 the RIgoletto was considered for Cinerama, but that was never realized. Later that same year, the Rigoletto would open "Dr. No", beginning an identification synonymous with James Bond as all the James Bond films would premiere here. Riteatrarna installed 70mm in three of their cinemas in 1959 but it was not until 10 years later, in 1969, that the RIgoletto would be converted for 70mm. By this time, Philips DP70 projectors were no longer available, so a pair of DP75's found their way in along with Philips transistorised 6-channel amplifier OMA6. First 70mm film was "The Longest Day" on 18 August 1969. In 1984 the DP75s were replaced by a pair of second hand DP70s (796 and 798) from Ritz Stockholm. Six new small auditoria were added in 1980. Two screens in areas adjacent to the foyer, and four screens in the basement with seating ranging from 81 to 135 seats. Two of these screens have since been closed. The RIgoletto was renovated in 2023 adding a restaurant and is now the flagship of Filmstadens cinema chain. |
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BioPalatset |
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 BioPalatset
around 2000. Picture by Thomas HauerslevBioPalatset (The Cinema Palace) in Stockholm, the first of three BioPalatset cinemas built by the Sandrew chain, opened on 14 December 1991 with 8 screens. Two additional screens were added the following year. The largest auditorium, holding 284 seats, was the first cinema in Scandinavia to be THX certified. Two second-hand 70mm projectors, Philips DP70 (2347 and 2350) were installed. The first 70mm film was ”Far and Away”, which premiered on 4. September 1992. The entire Sandrews chain folded in 2005 and was taken over by Astoria Cinemas, who sold BioPalatset to Filmstaden (formerly Svensk Filmindustri) in 2007. The name was changed to Filmstaden Söder. At some point the DP70's were removed and sold to private collectors. The projectors were replaced by a Kinoton FP30 and a platter system. Filmstaden Söder closed in November 2023 due to a complete renovation of the building. A brand new multiplex will open in 2026, at the same place, the name being retained. |
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Bio Victor |
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 When SFI (Swedish Film Institute) was
founded in 1963, they had no facilities of their own; before long plans for a
purpose-built home office evolved. Construction work for a brand new film
centre began in 1967. Inside the big 6-story building there are offices,
restaurant, archives, library, four studios and three cinemas. Filmhuset
(The Filmhouse) opened in January 1971.The largest cinema, Bio Victor, is named after Victor Sjöström, one of Sweden’s most honoured actor / directors, especially noted for his work during the silent era. Bio Victor has 355 seats and a 12 m (39,3 ft) wide screen. Originally there were two Zeiss Favorit 70 projectors but they were replaced by two second-hand Philips DP70s (1709 and 1711) in 1983. In 2006, management decided it was time to replace the DP70s since they were nearly 50 years old "and parts were becoming scarce". A pair of Kinoton FP75Es were acquired and put in service, and the DP70s were scrapped. The FP75E projectors featured electronic intermittent stepper motors instead of conventional mechanical Maltese cross intermittent. Within approx. 12 years (by 2018), the electronics inside the FP75ES had gone bad (!). It was clear there was no easy solution since the Kinoton company had gone out of business and it was impossible to repair or replicate the failed circuit boards. A pair of completely overhauled DP70s (1910 and 1912) were available in Holland, so these were purchased, shipped to Sweden and installed in Bio Victor in 2019. These projectors had been upgraded to have 3-bladed shutters, frequency-controlled servomotors for convenient speed selection and modernized sound heads. |
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Röda Kvarn |
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 Röda
Kvarn around 2000. Picture by Thomas HauerslevRöda Kvarn (The Red Windmill) was built by Svenska Biogratteatern, which later became Svensk Filmindustri, SF. When opened on 15 December 1915, it was considered the most superior cinema in Sweden. The street level foyer had marble floor, and a magnificent bronze sculpture. In the upper foyer walls were adorned by wallpaper made from silk along with gold painted furniture. The auditorium holding 863 seats including balcony, had a stage and an orchestra pit for 14 musicians, two large chandeliers and a curtain with embroidery. Over the years Röda Kvarn was SF's premiere cinema. Sound equipment was installed 1930. Major renovations took place in 1934. CinemaScope and stereophonic sound were installed in 1955, the screen being 10.5 m (34,4 ft) wide. A renovation in 1973 reduced the seating capacity to 559. A small auditorium, Lilla Kvarn (The Small Windmill), with 112 seats was built in the upper foyer 1975 . It had no decorations, a small screen and no curtain. Röda Kvarn had many projector replacements over the years, the last one in 1992 when two second hand Philips DP70s (1392 and 1394) were installed. They remained in service until the cinema closed in 2005 and were scrapped. The following year the premises opened as a store but was rebuilt into a restaurant in 2018. The conversion is reversible which means it can easily be a cinema again. Röda Kvarn never showed a 70mm film. |
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Parkteatern Stockholm |
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 Parkteatern, or just "Park", opened on 21
November 1941, being number two of six cinemas to be built in Stockholm in
the 1940s. Park was operated by RIteatrarna and became their secondary premiere cinema after Rigoletto. Its facade had one of the largest neon
installations in the city. One source claims 300m (980 ft) of neon tubes.
The foyer was small for a cinema of this size but beautifully designed with
mirrors in the ceiling on one of the walls. There was also a water fountain
with drinking water. A curved stairway led to the balcony holding 255 seats.
Overall capacity was 923 seats. The stage opening was surrounded by glass
leaves by the famous Swedish Orrefors Glass works and the main houselights were
concealed lighting in the ceiling. Park was probably the only cinema in
Stockholm to have thee curtains, all in different colors, one of them being
used for colourful lightshows before the main programme started. Projection equipment was first upgraded in 1954 adding CinemaScope, stereophonic sound and a 10,6 m (35 ft) screen. Some 20 years later, new Bauer projectors were brought into the projection room. Sweden’s first Dolby stereo sound system was installed in the late 1970s. Two second hand Philips DP70 projectors (889 and 952) replaced the Bauers in 1992, performing flawlessly until Park closed in 2017, never having shown any 70mm films. The projectors went for scrap. There were plans for conversion into a restaurant which never happened, so Park was used only for occasional events. A fitness centre will open in the premises by the end of December 2025. Much of the interior and decorations will be preserved. The closure of Park will be heavily mourned by all cinema enthusiasts in Stockholm. |
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Roxy Stockholm |
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 For
lack of a picture of Roxy, we bring you a
lovely Todd-AO advert insteadRoxy, when opened on 30 August 1935, was the 10th cinema in the Sandrew chain. It was also the largest with 940 seats including the balcony. The interior was a master of elegance with the technical installation being first class, for instance there was a Magnascope system that allowed the size of the picture to be enlarged for special scenes in the film. During the first years Roxy was used for premieres but as Sandrews opened more cinemas in Stockholm it became more of a district cinema. In 1961 Roxy underwent a major renovation where the balcony was removed and the rear stalls area was raised, providing much improved sightlines from all seats. The work also included new projectors and a bigger screen, 13m (43 ft) or 14m (46 ft) (there are conflicting sources). Six years later, in 1967, two Zeiss Favorit 70 projectors were put into service. The first 70mm film was “Young Girls of Rochefort” and a short, “Sky over Holland”. The premiere was on 13 September same year. Sandrews closed Roxy on 31 May 1971 but in October it was reopened under new ownership, the name being changed to Alfa Romeo, with the operation being sponsored by the Italian car company. In October 1973 the name was once again changed, this time to Kamraspalatset. The last film performance took place in May 1981. For a few years the premises was used for rock concerts and similar events. Today the former cinema is a fitness centre. |
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Festival Stockholm |
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 For
lack of a picture of Festival, we bring you a picture of the IMAX
Cosmonova at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
The
former OMNIMAX cinema is located 4,5 km northwest of Stockholm city center. Picture by Thomas HauerslevThis cinema, owned by EuropaFilm AB, opened on 28 July 1943 as the "Anglais" in a newly erected officebuilding. It had a total of 762 seats, 359 of which were on the balcony. Along with Saga, the largest cinema operated by EuropaFilm AB, it was used as a premiere cinema. Starting fall 1945 newsreels and other shorts were shown during daytime. These shows were called "Around the World". A renovation was made in November 1968 reducing the seating capacity to 700 seats. It also included the installation of a pair of Bauer U2 projectors for 70mm presentations. Screen size was 11 m (36 ft). The name of the cinema was changed to Festival. The first film to be screened was "Mayerling" on 14 November. EuropaFilm AB went into the red in 1984 and was bought by a rivalling cinema chain who promptly closed it. |
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 • Go to 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm • Go to gallery #1: Neon and DP70s in Stockholm • Go to gallery #2: 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm |
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 • Go to 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm • Go to gallery #1: Neon and DP70s in Stockholm • Go to gallery #2: 7OMM Cinemas of Stockholm |
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issues Updated 21-12-25 |