42°19′ N   83°02′ WINDEPENDENT CITY GUIDE · HU / ENDETROIT + MICHIGAN
QUARTER
DETROIT
← Back to cinemas

Multiplexes / Downtown Birmingham

The Birmingham 8 Powered by Emagine

Birmingham's 1927 Rapp & Rapp movie palace on South Old Woodward: the facade survived it all, and behind it are eight screens mixing indie and foreign films with the big releases.

Tickets ↗Full lineup on the venue’s site ↗(248) 723-6230
The lit vertical BIRMINGHAM sign and sunburst marquee over the sidewalk at night

Michipedian · CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Opened
1927
Architect
Rapp & Rapp (Cornelius W. and George L. Rapp)
Style
French Renaissance (original 1927 interior; the facade survives).
Seats
508
Screens
8
Formerly
Birmingham Theatre; Birmingham 8

What makes it special: 3D, huge screens, luxury seating, reserved seating, stadium seating.

01 / Now showing

Now showing

Announced lineup

What the venue announced on its own site when we last checked (2026-09-26). Click through for exact times and tickets.

Full lineup on the venue’s site ↗

02 / The story of this place

Make time for these

Designed by Rapp & Rapp, the Birmingham Theatre opened on November 21, 1927 for the Kunsky circuit with 1,450 seats and a Barton organ, adding vaudeville in 1928. United Detroit Theatres gutted the interior in the 1960s but kept the facade, and from 1979 the Nederlander organization brought Broadway shows here for several years. Uptown Entertainment split it into eight screens in 1996, and Emagine took over on February 22, 2021. Indie and foreign releases play alongside the mainstream titles: between September 26 and 30, 2026, the lineup includes Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! and Coyote vs. Acme.

  • A 1927 Rapp & Rapp theatre, original facade intact
  • Indie and foreign films alongside the blockbusters
  • $5 Ticket Tuesdays

Plan your visit

The theatre is at 211 S Old Woodward Ave. in downtown Birmingham. The box office opens 30 minutes before the first show and stays open 15 minutes after the last; you can reserve seats ahead or call (248) 723-6230.

Box office

Opens 30 minutes before the first showtime and stays open 15 minutes after the last showtime.

Ticket prices

$5 Ticket Tuesdays (chain-wide promotion).

A closer look

The brick facade with arched windows, the vertical sign and the colorful sunburst marquee in winter
The Birmingham 8 Powered by Emagine · Photo from the venue’s official website
The sidewalk under the bulb-lit marquee decorated with Christmas lights, with evening passersby
Brother Dave Thompson at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Cinemas nearby

Back to cinemas ↗

Multiplexes / Birmingham

Emagine Palladium

A boutique cinema in the Palladium building in downtown Birmingham: seven roomy auditoriums with leather power recliners, a small screening room and a theatre bar. First-run films mix with anniversary revivals and Met Opera broadcasts.

Multiplexes / Canton

Emagine Canton

A 19-screen first-run multiplex on Ford Road in Canton, run by Michigan-owned Emagine: EMX and Super EMX premium screens with Dolby Atmos, cuddle chairs and a bar. Tickets are $5 on Tuesdays.

Multiplexes / Hartland

Emagine Hartland

A 10-screen first-run cinema on Hartland Road in Livingston County: an EMX premium room with laser projection and Dolby Atmos, heated recliners, a small screening room and a lobby lounge. Tickets are $5 on Tuesdays.

Save the plan. Share the moment.