Lido Cinemas

What Lido Cinemas does

Lido Cinemas is a family-owned, single-site 'artiplex' cinema and live entertainment venue at 675 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Operated by Eddie and Lindy Tamir since 2013 as part of the Moving Story Entertainment group, the venue is housed in a 1912 building (retaining original terrazzo floors and decorative plaster ceilings) and comprises eight individually designed indoor cinemas, a seasonal rooftop cinema operating November to May, a 40-seat Manhattan-inspired jazz room, and a foyer food-and-drink bar. Programming spans mainstream releases, art house films, retrospectives (Classic Matinees, Cult Classics), curated film festivals (CHIFF, Europa! Europa, Fantastic Film Festival), live jazz and comedy, and one-off live-event broadcasts. Core technology consists of 4K projection, Dolby Atmos sound, hearing loop accessibility, and open-caption sessions, supported by a website ticketing platform with reCAPTCHA and a member login system.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with seven distinct revenue streams: movie ticket sales, food and beverage concessions (boutique wine, craft beer, Axil coffee, popcorn, choc-tops), recurring Movie Club memberships (Free tier plus VIP at A$14.50–A$20/year), digital e-gift cards (A$20–A$400, three-year validity), Jazz Room ticketing (A$27–A$32 live music, A$10 comedy), private venue hire and group bookings, and cinema advertising subscriptions. Customer segments are diversified across general cinema-goers, Movie Club members, cinephiles, families (Lido Junior), students, seniors, and corporate/group clients. Marketing is executed through Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters to Movie Club members, and community event programming. The company is privately held under The Trustee for The Lido Cinemas Unit Trust in Victoria, Australia, has 11–50 employees, and reports no external funding.

Name

Lido Cinemas

Legal name

The Trustee for The Lido Cinemas Unit Trust

Website

https://lidocinemas.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lido Cinemas is a family-owned artiplex cinema and live entertainment venue in Hawthorn, Melbourne, operating eight indoor screens, a seasonal rooftop, and a jazz room within a 1912 heritage building. It serves Melbourne's eastern-suburbs consumers with mainstream, art house, retrospective, and live-event programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema / Movie Theater Operations

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas (MPADAKAE), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Independent cinema
• Movie theater
• Film exhibition
• Cinema venue
• Movie screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawthorn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Movie Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for movie screenings across 8 indoor cinemas and rooftop cinema. Pricing varies by session type, membership status, and day of week.
2. Food and Beverage: Concession sales including popcorn, choc-tops, boutique wines, craft beers, cocktails, coffee, and gourmet snacks. All items can be taken into cinemas or enjoyed in the foyer.
3. Movie Club Memberships: VIP membership at $14.50/year (seniors) or $20/year (adults) providing discounted tickets, food discounts, and bonus tickets. Free tier available with basic benefits.
4. E-Gift Cards: Digital gift cards valid for three years, redeemable for tickets and food/drink. Available in denominations from $20 to $400.
5. Jazz Room Events: Live jazz and comedy performances in the 40-seat jazz room venue, with ticket prices of $27 for members/seniors and $32 for non-members.
6. Private Cinema Hire and Events: Revenue from private screenings, corporate events, birthday parties, group bookings (20+ people), rooftop hire, and school bookings.
7. Cinema Advertising: Advertising packages for businesses to display static slides or video advertisements, ranging from one-month trials to 12-month discounted rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lido Cinemas operates a multi-screen independent cinema in Hawthorn, Melbourne, comprising 8 indoor cinemas, a rooftop cinema, and a jazz room. The venue presents arthouse, mainstream, and repertory film programming together with food and beverage service and live music performances. The cinema is housed in a heritage building originally constructed in 1912 and has operated as Lido Cinemas since 2013 under family ownership.

Product overview

Lido Cinemas is a family-owned and operated cinema complex operated by Moving Story Entertainment, featuring eight indoor cinemas, a seasonal rooftop cinema, and multiple live performance venues. The cinema screens a mix of mainstream blockbusters, art house films, and retrospectives, utilizing cutting-edge 4K projection and Dolby Atmos sound technology. Adjacent to the cinema is the Lido Jazz Room, a Manhattan-inspired live music venue hosting jazz and comedy performances. The venue also offers event hire services including private screenings, group bookings, birthday parties, and school excursions. Membership is available through the Movie Club program (Free and VIP tiers), and gift cards are sold in digital format.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Movie Screenings Daily film screenings across 8 indoor cinemas covering arthouse, mainstream, and repertory programming for general audiences in Melbourne.
• Rooftop Cinema

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Classic CinemascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the same ownership group (Eddie and Lindy Tamir). Located at 9 Gordon St, Elsternwick, Melbourne. Features 10 screens and rooftop cinema. Offers mainstream and arthouse films in a boutique cinema environment.
• Cameo CinemascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the same ownership group. Located at 1628 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave, in the Dandenong Ranges. Features 8 screens including outdoor cinema operating December-March. Offers mainstream, blockbuster and quality arthouse movies.
• Ritz CinemascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Moving Story Entertainment group. Heritage-listed Art Deco cinema built in 1937 at 45 St Pauls Street, Randwick, NSW (Sydney). One of only two original Art Deco cinemas remaining in Sydney. Family-owned independent cinema.
• Moving Story EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company comprising four historic cinemas, annual film festivals, and a film distribution arm. Includes Jewish International Film Festival, Children's International Film Festival (CHIFF), Fantastic Film Festival Australia, and Europa! Europa Film Festival.
• Uptown Jazz CaféminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJazz venue owned by Sonny Rehe, located in Fitzroy. Sonny curates the Lido Jazz Room gig guide featuring local and visiting jazz acts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cinema Nova: Independent multi-screen cinema in Carlton, Melbourne, with a strong art-house and international film focus. Competes for the same Melbourne cinephile and arthouse audience as Lido.
• Palace Cinemas: Australia's leading boutique/art-house cinema chain. Operates a network of heritage venues with curated programming, festivals, and rooftop/outdoor cinema in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. Most direct competitor in the artplex/premium independent segment.
• Ritz Cinemas (Randwick, Sydney): Heritage-listed 1937 Art Deco cinema also under Moving Story Entertainment. Family-owned independent operation in Sydney providing curated mainstream/art house programming — comparable mission and group affiliation.
• The Astor Theatre: Iconic single-screen heritage cinema in St Kilda, Melbourne, run by a non-profit and known for repertory screenings, double features, and cult classics. Direct competitor for the cinephile/retrospective audience Lido courts via Cult Classics and Classic Matinees.
• Classic Cinemas (Elsternwick): Sister cinema under the Moving Story Entertainment group with Eddie and Lindy Tamir. Operates 10 screens plus a rooftop in Melbourne's Elsternwick with mainstream and arthouse programming — the closest operational peer given shared ownership, programming philosophy, and city.
• Cameo Cinemas (Belgrave): Another sister venue in the Moving Story Entertainment group. Eight screens with seasonal outdoor cinema in the Dandenong Ranges, mixing mainstream blockbusters and arthouse — directly comparable boutique cinema operation.

Broad incumbents

• Hoyts: Australia's largest cinema chain operator with broad mainstream and premium (Hoyts Lux) positioning. Competes for general Melbourne audiences, with growing investment in boutique-style amenities that increasingly encroach on Lido's premium positioning.
• Village Cinemas: Major Australian cinema chain (part of Village Roadshow) with extensive Melbourne footprint including premium Gold Class screens. Large-scale exhibitor with broad programming that competes with Lido on mainstream and now premium experiences.
• Event Cinemas / BCC (Birch Carroll & Coyle): Major Australian cinema chain with broad Victorian (BCC) presence, premium Gold Class and boutique-style Event hospitality. Comparable as a competing exhibition operator at scale, though focused on mainstream rather than the curatorial niche.

Regional players

• Rooftop Cinema (Melbourne): Melbourne-based seasonal outdoor cinema operator (St Kilda, Melbourne Cable Park venues). Competes with Lido's rooftop cinema offering for the same warm-weather outdoor screening audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lidocinemas
• Instagraminstagram.com/lidocinemas
• Xx.com/lidocinemas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lido Cinemas