The Cinema That Zürich Might Be About to Lose

A legal challenge has failed, but political resistance to the closure of the historic Kino Corso is far from over.

The Kino Corso at Bellevue, the largest cinema in German-speaking Switzerland and a fixture of Zürich's cultural landscape for nearly eight decades, is one step closer to closing its doors for good. A legal challenge mounted to block the city's redevelopment plans was rejected by the district authority this week, clearing the way for the building's conversion into an event venue — a transformation that would see the cinema out by 2029 and barred from returning.

The city argues the 126-year-old listed building requires significant renovation, and that repurposing it is the only viable path forward. Critics dispute both the necessity and the cost, with figures now circulating suggesting the project could run to CHF 100 million — a figure one FDP councillor called "quite something, even by Zürich standards."

With the legal route exhausted, attention has shifted to politics. The FDP is openly weighing a citizens' initiative to force the issue to a popular vote, while several motions from parties across the spectrum — including the Greens, SVP and AL — remain active in the city parliament. Others are counselling patience, pointing to signals from newly elected members of the city government that the matter is not yet settled. A petition in support of the cinema gathered nearly 3,000 signatures earlier this year.

The Corso is not alone in its precarity. Two other Zürich arthouse cinemas have already shut in recent years, and the broader question of how the city supports its film culture is increasingly hard to ignore — particularly given the Corso's role as a key venue for the Zurich Film Festival.