Aug 11, 2025 - Things to Do

IMAX returning to Philadelphia in 2026

Mike D'Onofrio

Crowded theater with an audience watching a large curved IMAX screen displaying a blue background with white "IMAX" text and smoky visual effects. — Photo: Courtesy of IMAX

IMAX will return to Riverview Plaza in South Philly in 2026.

Why it matters: The high-res, large-screen theater experience is part of the revival of the 17-screen theater, which closed during the pandemic.

State of play: Riverview Plaza, located off Christopher Columbus Boulevard along the Delaware River, and its other non-IMAX screens could reopen by the end of year or early in 2026, per the Inquirer.

An exact opening date in 2026 for the IMAX isn't set yet, per a company news release.
Apple Cinemas will operate the South Philly theater complex.

Flashback: The city's only IMAX screens — at Riverview Plaza and the Franklin Institute — both shuttered in 2020 during COVID-19.

1 cool thing: Riverview's IMAX will be equipped with the company's Laser system, which features 4K laser projection and lifelike images.

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IMAX returning to Philadelphia in 2026

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