Cinéma Renaissance, Rabat

An Art Deco cinema in central Rabat

Cinéma Renaissance occupies a landmark building on Mohammed V Avenue, within Rabat’s twentieth-century Ville Nouvelle. Built in the 1930s as a theatre, it was converted in 1946 into a multipurpose venue for film screenings, stage performances and the city’s film-club movement. Its architecture, central location and continuous cultural use have made the building part of Rabat’s nationally recognised architectural heritage.

This history matters when visiting the venue. Renaissance is not a standard multiplex placed inside a shopping centre; it is an older urban auditorium whose identity combines film-going, live performance and the memory of Rabat’s downtown cultural life.

Reopened by Fondation HIBA

Fondation HIBA acquired the building in 2006 and led its redevelopment. The cinema reopened to the public in 2013, with the aim of restoring regular film exhibition in the city centre while creating a room flexible enough for other art forms.

Its programme consequently moves between films, premieres, festivals, concerts, theatre, comedy, professional gatherings and events connected to Morocco’s cultural and creative industries. European Film Weeks, African cinema programmes, special screenings and the Moroccan Forum of Cultural and Creative Industries illustrate the range of uses. Renaissance is best understood as a cultural auditorium with cinema at its core, rather than as a commercial screen devoted only to weekly releases.

382 seats and professional technical equipment

The main auditorium seats 382 people: 349 seats in the stalls and 33 larger seats on the balcony. It is equipped with 4K digital projection, Dolby Stereo and Dolby Digital 7.1 sound, computerised ticketing and entrance information screens.

Back-line equipment, including drums, piano and amplifiers, enables the room to host concerts and stage work alongside screenings. Visitors may therefore find a film festival, theatre production, comedy performance, conference or formal cultural event on the programme rather than a conventional cinema session.

Part of a building-wide creative ecosystem

The auditorium is one component of a wider Fondation HIBA hub. The building also includes La Scène, a cultural café used for music, conversations and smaller events. Two floors above the cinema, HIBA_Lab provides space for rehearsals, residencies, training, exhibitions and interdisciplinary experimentation.

This vertical organisation connects artistic development with public presentation. Work can be rehearsed or developed upstairs, discussed in the meeting spaces and eventually presented in the main auditorium. Few cultural buildings in central Rabat combine creation, professional exchange, hospitality and large-scale presentation so closely.

Planning a visit

Opening times depend on the scheduled screening or event rather than on a single daily timetable. Check Fondation HIBA’s programme or the relevant ticketing page before travelling, particularly for film language versions, access conditions and door times.

The auditorium is also available for festivals, performances and professional events through Fondation HIBA. Continue your cultural route at the Mohammed V National Theatre, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, or browse current events in Rabat.