The Empire Cineplex in Independence Arcade is a small but nice theatre, especially the Gold Hall. This hall has really comfy recliners and pretty decent 3D. The other cinema is basically normal seating. You can see the latest movies playing on our Events page. You can get tickets online at ticketslk.
The Gold Hall
If you want the best experience on offer, go for the Gold Hall, whatever movie is on offer. The seats here are really comfortable (they recline almost fully) and the theatre is the right size for 3D to be somewhat effective. It only seats about 40 but there usually seem to be seats available these days.
The Deluxe Hall
We actually ended up going here by mistake which is kind of a bummer, if you’re expecting your own lounge chair. As a normal theatre, however, it’s quite fine. The sound isn’t great and the screen is small but it’s comfortable enough and it’s inclined, so everyone can see. We did find the projector a bit loud in the back, but you forget that quickly.
The Food And Stuff
The refreshments here are a bit pathetic. Basically Tipi-Tip and little bottles of soda. No beer and they don’t let you bring outside food either.
The Service
Since the place wasn’t very busy when we went, the service was great. At that point there was basically a 1:1 staff to customer ratio. Getting tickets online (via ticketslk) was painless and there was no line. We just went in and sat and everyone was nice.
Conclusion
The Empire Cineplex is a small theatre but the Gold Hall has probably the most comfortable seating of any cinema in Sri Lanka. The other hall is basically normal and the snacks are pretty mediocre. It’s still a cozy little theatre and a nice way to enjoy Arcade Independence.
