Skip to main content

Story: Theatres, cinemas and halls

Fall and rise of cinema-going

File size
747 bytes

The top graph shows the dramatic decline in the number of cinemas during the 1960s, which is when television watching  took off, encouraging people to stay at home. The bottom graph shows the revival of cinema-going from the 1990s. The increased number of screens reflected the rise of multiplex cinemas, which had a range of different-sized auditoriums within the one structure.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Theatres, cinemas and halls – Town halls, old theatres and multiplexes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/42395/fall-and-rise-of-cinema-going (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 21 August 2013.