Rooftop Cinema

We are a cinema and bar on the rooftop of Curtin House in Melbourne’s CBD that’s been operating since way back in 2006. We’re not the Rooftop Cinema Clubs in London or the United States or Rooftop Movies in Perth. Just in case you were looking for them.

On this page we’ve put together all the information we can think of that will help you have the best night possible with us. So read on, and we look forward to seeing you up here.

What we screen and when we screen it

We program a smooth, flavourful blend of new releases and repertory classics from the mainstream and a little further afield. Browse the program here.

Due to planetary motion and stuff, screenings start when the sun goes down.

December and January

Seating opens at 9pm, and screenings kick off at 9.30pm.

February

Seating opens at 8.30pm, and screenings kick off at 9pm.

March

Seating opens at 8pm, and screenings kick off at 8.30pm.

How to get here

On public transport you can take any tram along Swanston Street and alight at either Bourke or La Trobe streets. Alternatively, take the train to Melbourne Central Station and walk two blocks south.

If you’re driving, 24–hour parking is available just around the corner at Secure Parking QV, 180 Lonsdale Street

Keep up to date

The best way to get the latest news about the season, information about special events and details about giveaways is to subscribe to our newsletter. It goes out every week during the season and we promise it’s a lot more entertaining than most. Some of the feedback from our last audience survey:

"Whomstever is writing your newsletters and program is a genius and I just want to be their mate."

“I absolutely love the newsletter, laughing out loud at the amazingly witty blurbs!”

“I absolutely love reading the emails you send out”

“The emails are great!”

And remember: you can always unsubscribe.

We’re also on Instagram and Facebook. We have a Twitter account, but it’s primarily used to make announcements about changes to our programming.

Tickets

Tickets are $26 adult and $22 concession including GST.

We accept any of the following cards or documents for concession entry:

Carer Card
Health Care Card
Pensioner Concession Card
Student cards (Australian and international)
Veterans Affairs Card
Government-issued Seniors Card (Australian and international)
RRR subscribers

Companion card holders can bring their attendant free of charge.

If a session has sold out and you want to roll the dice, email hello@rooftopcinema.com.au with your name, number and the session you’d like to attend. In the event of any cancellations we’ll contact people on a first-come-first-served basis and give them the opportunity to swoop on some tickets.

Gift vouchers and packs

We sell digital gift vouchers if you want to give someone a good night up on the roof.

We also have ritzy, physical gift packs for two people with tickets, treats, blanket hire and an optional voucher for dinner at Mesa Verde.

Vouchers and gift packs don’t have an expiry date and can be redeemed at future seasons.

Learn more and purchase here.

Corporate and group bookings

Looking to book in a corporate group of between 10 and 30 people? No problem. Ticket prices for corporate groups are $30 (including GST) per person. And we’ll reserve the best in the house, guaranteed.

To book or find out more, email us at hello@rooftopcinema.com.au.

Under 18s

Under the law, people under the age of 18 can attend one of our screenings when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

However, we strongly advise that our venue is not designed for minors. We’re a fully licensed bar as well as a cinema. It’s a grown-up atmosphere here on the roof.

Food and drink

Our candy bar can do you up with cinema classics like Cobs popcorn, choc-tops by Piccolina Gelateria and our boysenberry choc-top chocolate bar made in collaboration with Huntered + Gathered. You can find it up front, to the right of the screen and it’s open until the pre-movie programming starts to play.

If you think candy bar stuff is strictly for babies, Rooftop Bar serves cocktails, beers, wine, tea, coffee and soda. You know, the kind of stuff you get from a really good bar. Their menu is available here if you’re the kind of person to really plan out an evening to the last detail.

The bar is open from 11am, closes at 1am and remains open during the screening if you want to zip out for a cheeky one.

If you feel like a meal, the Burger Shack is to the left of the screen flipping burgers and frying fries from the moment the bar opens until 10 minutes before the screening. Check out the menu and imagine the possibilities. Vegetarians will be pleased to learn they can order more than one thing from the menu and vegans are accommodated with pleasure.

Want to class things up? One floor below us on level six, our mates at Mesa Verde specialise in combining traditional Mexican flavours and techniques with Australian culinary innovation and local, seasonal produce. They also have one of the largest collections of agave-based spirits (read: tequila and mezcal) in Australia. You’re not going to find a better margarita in this town.

Mesa Verde is open daily from 4pm during the summer and bookings are recommended. They also cater for large groups and functions among the herbs and succulents in our private rooftop garden, download their function pack here.

Mesa Verde pre-cinema special

The best pre-film feed around. Best paired with a margarita.

Guacamole and totopos
Charred corn esquites, smoked cheese, crispy tortilla strips
Ceviche, blood orange, avocado, red onion, cherry tomato
Choice of two tacos

$35 per person, bookings recommended.

Our enemy: the weather

We don’t like it, but the weather can make a mess of our plans so we reserve the right to cancel any film because of bad weather.

We’ll make a decision about a weather-related cancellation no later than two hours before a scheduled screening. If we do cancel a screening, we’ll post an update on our Facebook and Twitter. We’ll also send an email to all ticketholders and refund the price of their tickets.

If we don’t post or email, that means clear skies ahead in both figurative and literal senses and we’ll see you up there.

As corny as it is to joke about the capriciousness of Melbourne’s weather, it’s also not funny because it’s true. So play it safe and bring a jacket or jumper.

If you’re down to get extra cosy, you can hire one of our blankets, made specially for us by Sunday Ganim, for $5 from our projector booth up back. If you want to bring your own blankie we’re cool with that too.

Accessibility

We really regret that Rooftop Bar is not wheelchair accessible. The Curtin House lift only goes as far as level six. There’s one flight of stairs to ascend to the roof. We do have an ambulant bathroom for those who require these facilities.

Bathrooms

You may ask why our bathrooms are gender neutral. This is important to transgender or non-binary people who can fear being discriminated against or made to feel uncomfortable if they use either gender’s loos. All we request is that you respect this space and keep the cubicles tidy. One at a time, you rascals.

Anything we didn’t cover?

Mail us at hello@rooftopcinema.com.au or message us on Facebook. We reply during our box office’s opening hours: 5pm–9.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

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