Sydney cinemas are reopening from October 11! Here’s what’s on at the movies

Back in June, more than 12 million Australians were in lockdown—and probably sick to death of sitting in a dark room, trying to keep ourselves sane with whatever entertainment’s available.

Sitting in a dark room watching stuff with other people, though? Pure bliss. With more than 70% of the state set to hit that coveted 70% double-vaccination threshold, Sydney cinemas can finally re-open from Monday October 11.

Sydneysiders have been stuck inside for more than 120 days, but finally, the state government’s roadmap out of lockdown shows some flickering projector light at the end of the tunnel. As long as they’re willing to wear masks while in the cinema and provide proof of full vaccination, moviegoers can buy tickets to cinemas with a reduced 75% capacity.

It’s better than nothing, that’s for sure, and it means audiences in the state will finally be able to see such hyped-up blockbusters as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Respect, Free Guy, Black Widow, and…Paw Patrol: The Movie. Bark bark let me buy my tickets immediately!!

One of the most exciting reasons to rush back into one of Sydney’s gorgeous movie houses? The return of the Sydney Film Festival, which was wisely postponed to take place from November 3 to 21 instead of its usual mid-year event. Here’s comedian Natalie Tran walking you through the ridiculously stacked full program.

Some of the session times available prove that it’s not too late to catch that movie US and UK viewers got the chance to see months and months ago. Horror hits like Don’t Breath 2 and Candyman can now be seen in person rather than waiting for a streaming release, and festival stunners Nitram and Annette are fortunately scheduled for the big screen (at the beautiful Hayden Orpheum, no less).

If you’re a Sydney moviegoer unsure of where to even start now that you can catch up on all the year’s biggest cinema releases, let us help you out. You can search by movie or cinema with our tabs at the top of the page.

The category of Sydney’s inner and eastern cinemas shows a ton of fresh new session times: from humble pairings of indie and classic movies at the glorious Golden Age in Surry Hills, to 16 terrific movies to see anytime of the day at Event Cinemas Burwood. We can’t wait for you to taste that popcorn and see those famous faces emblazoned on a huge screen again—it just isn’t the same watching at home.