IMAX Melbourne

IMAX Melbourne is an IMAX movie theatre in Carlton, Melbourne, Australia. It is the largest IMAX theatre in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world by screen size and capacity.^[1][2][3][a] It is owned and operated by Museums Victoria and is located eight storeys beneath the Melbourne Museum. It features IMAX's dual laser projector,^[7] as well as an IMAX 1570 film projector.^[8]

IMAX Melbourne

IMAX Melbourne main entrance
Address	Rathdowne St, Carlton VIC 3053 Melbourne Australia
Coordinates	37°48′12″S 144°58′14″E
Owner	Museums Victoria
Type	Cinema
Opened	1998
Website
https://imaxmelbourne.com.au

History

Initial plans for the theatre were drafted in 1994 as part of the renovation of the Melbourne Museum.^[9] Final plans were announced in 1996,^[10] with construction scheduled to begin in May of that year.^[11][12] After delays, final bids for the project were solicited in September 1996.^[13] During construction, more delays were encountered^[14] due to contaminated soil and water seepage.^[15] The cinema opened in March 1998 with a screening of the film Everest.^[16][17] At the time of opening, the screen was 31 m × 23 m (102 ft × 75 ft).^[16]

The cinema closed twice in the 2010s. In 2013, the cinema closed in order to receive a new IMAX digital xenon system that was installed alongside the existing 1570 projector, as well as to receive an upgraded screen.^[18] Two years later, the cinema was closed again in order to replace said system with a new upgraded IMAX dual laser projection system, as well as an upgraded IMAX 12 Channel sound system.^[19] To make room for the new dual laser projectors, the 1570 projector was removed and put into storage.^[20]

In 2016, following the closure of IMAX Sydney, IMAX Melbourne became the world's largest IMAX theatre,^[21][22] until the opening of the Traumpalast Leonberg Theater in Germany in 2021.^[23][24]

In 2017, after negotiations with the IMAX Corporation, the 1570 projector was reinstalled alongside the dual laser projectors for the release of Dunkirk.^[25] With the release of Oppenheimer in 2023, IMAX Melbourne was one of only 30 cinemas in the world, and the only location in the Southern Hemisphere able to project the film on 1570.^[b]

The cinema is located eight storeys beneath the Melbourne Museum, and is the largest IMAX theatre in the Southern Hemisphere^[1][2] and the second largest in the world^[3] by screen size, at 32 m × 23 m (105 ft × 75 ft).^[30] The cinema seats 461 people, including 25 VIP seats.^[31] The cinema features an IMAX 12 Channel Digital sound system as well as one IMAX dual laser projector^[19] and one IMAX GT3D 1570 film projector.^[20]

Comparison to other IMAX theatres in Australia

The next largest IMAX theatre in Australia is IMAX Sydney. Prior to its 2016 demolition, IMAX Sydney was larger, however, compared to its current screen, IMAX Melbourne is larger,^[32] as its screen is 32 m × 23 m (105 ft × 75 ft),^[33] while Sydney's is 29 m × 24 m (95 ft × 79 ft).^[34][35] IMAX Melbourne also features a 1570 projector, while IMAX Sydney does not. IMAX currently has plans to open up to 40 more theatres in Australia,^{[36][37][38][39]} the first two of these locations opened December 2024 in Canberra^[40] and the Gold Coast.^[41][42] When compared to these two locations, IMAX Melbourne is larger in size, as both locations only have a 1.90:1 screen^[43][44][41] and a capacity of 300 people^[45][44] and 230 people^[46][42] respectively, while IMAX Melbourne has a 1.43:1 screen and a capacity of 461 people.^[47][31]

See also

• BFI IMAX
• Melbourne Museum
• IMAX Sydney

Notes

1. The largest theatre in the world is Traumpalast Leonberg Theater, located in Leonberg, Germany.^[4][5][6]
2. Attributed to many sources.^{[26][27][8][28][29]}