5 Best Performing Arts Venues in Seattle, Washington

This 1963 cinema, restored by the late Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, seamlessly blends the luxury of the theater with high technology. Behind a standard-size movie screen sits an enormous, 30-foot by 90-foot restored curved panel used to screen old three-strip films like How the West Was Won, as well as 70-millimeter presentations of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The sight lines throughout are amazing. Rear-window captioning, assisted listening devices, audio narration, wheelchair access, and other amenities ensure that everyone has an outstanding experience. Beyond blockbuster screenings, the space hosts festivals, events, and arthouse cinema. 

Forget about 40-ounce Cokes and popcorn with neon-yellow butter—Central Cinema makes movie night a more elegant experience. The first few rows of this charming, friendly little theater consist of diner-style booths. Place your order for pizzas, salads, snacks, and cocktails or other beverages, and servers will deliver your food unobtrusively during the first few minutes of the movie. The theater shows a great mix of favorites and local indie and experimental films.

Seattle's longest-running independent movie house is an outstanding and unique home for independent and art film that feels as comfortable as a home theater. The non-profit, volunteer-run theater shows independent, classic, and other types of films that otherwise tend to fly under the radar of pop culture.

This cornerstone of the city's independent film scene is a place to make discoveries: the two screening rooms show movies you're unlikely to see anywhere else, including international films, documentaries, works by local filmmakers, and classic repertory. Workshops, curated film series, and festivals fill the schedule.

Festival favorites, indie releases, and arthouse gems fill the lineup at this year-round outpost of the Seattle International Film Festival. Its three screens rotate between new releases and themed series, the concession stand serves beer and wine, and the vintage marquee adds neighborhood charm. A second, 90-seat SIFF theater inside Seattle Center screens arthouse and repertory films, along with live broadcasts from the National Theatre.