Doors Open Day 2026

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Doors Open Day at GFT

To celebrate Glasgow Doors Open Day, we're inviting you behind the scenes of GFT – a cultural landmark in the heart of the city for over 85 years.

🗓️ Join us on Sunday 20 September between 10:00 and 12:00 (doors open at 09:30) for a rare chance to explore our iconic Rose Street building, soak in its rich cinematic history, and discover what goes on behind the curtain.

🎥 Projection Box Tours

Peek inside the heart of the cinema with our free Projection Box tours. Tours are first-come, first-served (max 15 people per slot), so come early to secure your spot – these always fill up fast!

☕ Make a Morning of It

Whether you're joining a tour or just having a wander, everyone is welcome. Enjoy a coffee or treat from our café and explore our fully accessible screens, bar, and foyer at your own pace.

Our building, three screens and foyer are fully accessible. Please note: the Projection Box is not accessible due to stairs.

Come celebrate the stories, spaces, and spirit that make GFT a true Glasgow gem.

Enjoy a celebration of Glasgow's rich cinema history on September 19, 10.00 – 11.00, with the free talk Going to the Pictures on Sauchiehall Street: A History of Glasgow’s Cinema, hosted by Sauchiehall Street Culture and Heritage District.

Gordon Barr and Gary Painter of ScottishCinemas.org take you on a virtual saunter up the full length of Sauchiehall Street to present an illustrated feature covering the immense range of Glasgow’s cinema history, from converted roller-skating rinks to the finest 1930s art deco super-cinemas. The talk will cover cinemas that were, cinemas that are, and cinemas that might have been.

Free tickets available here.

To celebrate Doors Open Day, we are screening two classic films, The Wizard of Oz and Young Frankenstein on 19 and 20 September respectively - see below for timings.

Our History

Originally known as the Cosmo, our cinema first opened its doors on 18 May 1939. It was the second purpose-built arthouse cinema in the UK and the last cinema to be built in Scotland before the outbreak of the Second World War. Known for its iconic architecture and post-art deco interiors, the building was designed by James McKissack and WJ Anderson II, with the geometric windowless facade influenced by the work of leading Dutch modernist architect Willem Marinus Dudok. The building was B-listed by Historic Scotland in 1988.

In 1974 the Cosmo Cinema was purchased by the Scottish Film Council and reopened on 2 May 1974 as Glasgow Film Theatre, as you know it today. Over half a century later, we are now Scotland’s best attended independent cinema and a leading educational charity. GFT remains at the cutting edge of film exhibition, showing over 700 different titles a year from more than 60 countries. We are one of the few Scottish cinemas still equipped to project 35mm and 70mm film and we're at the forefront of new technologies, with all three of our screens fitted with state-of-the-art projection equipment.

Showtimes

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