About / Admission / COVID-19 Updates

Capacity Limits and Additional Public Health Measures

We are back to a 325 patron capacity.

The candy bar is open during cinema business hours!

Public health safety measures continue to remain in effect for the cinema.

Although masks will not be required to enter the cinema, they are encouraged. We will still have extra hand sanitizer on hand, and social distance from other patrons is encouraged.

For further information on COVID-19 in Ontario, please visit:

https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/

Thank you for your continued support during these always complicated times!

Other Notes –

We’re excited to light up our big screen again, but we’re still taking the current situation very seriously, and we’ve taken a number of measures to help protect everyone’s health.

Specifically:

Enhanced sanitation and disinfection

• We will continue to thoroughly disinfect the cinema.
• Our card payment devices, cash registers, and other devices used by staff and the public are being sanitized regularly.
• Our staff are following suggested protocols to keep themselves and the public safe, with frequent hand-washing, regular use of sanitizers, and wearing gloves whenever needed.
• We’ve made soap and hand sanitizer readily available, and have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection for all high-traffic surfaces, before and after every screening.
• All patrons are asked to dispose of their own garbage at the end of each show.

When to come to the Mayfair, and when not to

• We’ve asked any staff who are feeling unwell to stay at home.
• Finally, in an effort to protect Ottawa movie-lovers, we kindly ask anyone who is not feeling well to please STAY HOME – come back another time, when you’re feeling better!

Arrive Early!

• Please take note that doors open 30 minutes before showtimes. We encourage people to arrive early. We have a small box office, a small candy bar, and a single-screen cinema, meaning that when most of an audience shows up a few minutes before showtime, it causes a bottleneck. If possible, we appreciate you arriving a little bit early to pick out your seat and get your popcorn. Thanks for your help!

Members $8.50

Non-members $13.00

Seniors (65+) $9.50

Children (12 and under) $7.50

Annual Memberships $16.00

All prices include tax.

Gift Certificates available in $10 or $20 increments.

The Mayfair accepts debit and credit cards!
(Special event rentals are cash only for tickets purchased on the day of the screening)

The box office opens a 1/2 hour before the day’s first showtime. Tickets are sold at the box office for same day screenings. No phone sales.

Advance tickets are available via Events.com!
Tickets on sale through Events.com up to one hour before showtime.
If you don’t see a link for advance tickets on the info page for the movie, that means that they are not available yet.

Showtimes are usually finalized on Monday for the following Friday through Thursday.
Advance tickets information is usually posted every Tuesday for the following Friday through Thursday.

Non-Mayfair rental screenings are cash only at the box office.

All of the showtimes for movies are listed as we know them.
Finalized dates and time are usually finalized every Monday for the following Friday to Thursday.

Please turn off your phone before the movie begins.
No talking on your phone, texting, or taking pictures or recording video of the screen  is allowed

——————————————————————————-

What is your address?

1074 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 3X3

Do you accept debit or credit cards?

We now accept debit and credit cards!
(Though, for special event rental screenings from outside groups, it is a cash only box office)

Can I buy advance tickets online?

Yes! Advance tickets are available via Events.com!

Advance tickets are available through Events.com up to one hour before showtime.

If you don’t see a link for advance tickets on the info page for the movie, that means that they are not available yet.

Showtimes are usually finalized on Monday for the following Friday through Thursday.
Advance tickets information is usually posted every Tuesday for the following Friday through Thursday, and are available up to an hour before the showtime of each movie.

What are the rules for movie ratings?

Since October 1st 2019, the Ontario Film Authority program which rated films was cancelled. That is why you might notice the “NR” for Not Rated on a number of movies since then. Although you will see ratings of G, PG, 14A, 18A, and R listed for films released before that, there are technically no rating restrictions on movies currently.

Can I reserve tickets over the phone?

No, our tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis from our box office. Though, you can get advance tickets online (see above).

Do you sell gift certificate?

Yes. In $10 or $20 increments. They are available from the box office.

Do you accept Access 2 cards?

Yes. When an Access 2 cardholder (the individual with the permanent disability) presents their valid Access 2 card, their support person receives free admission; the cardholder pays regular admission.

Do you have air conditioning?

Yes!

What time do you open?

We open 30 minutes before the first show of the day. You can always check our website for showtimes.

How early should I arrive for the movie?

We usually let customers inside for the movie about 30 minutes before showtime, so everyone has ample time to grab popcorn, use the restroom and get a good seat.

We highly recommend showing up early, as it can get busy closer to showtime.

PS – Before the movie there is rarely more than three trailers, and sometimes a short 30 second ad or two. Which usually adds up to about 7 or 8 minutes.

If I purchase a ticket, can I stay for all the shows that day?

Unless otherwise stated, each film requires a separate admission. For example, if you buy a ticket for the 6:30 p.m. show and want to stay for the 9:00 p.m. show, you’ll have to purchase a separate ticket for each.

A bit of explanation: in the old Mayfair days, double features were scheduled frequently, but film studios will no longer allow us to charge single admission for more than one film, especially if films come from different studios.

Are you licensed to serve alcohol?

No. However, we do licenses for special events like our annual Oscars telecast. If an event is licensed, we’ll make sure it’s mentioned in the listing, and on Facebook and Twitter.

How do I become a member?

It’s easy! Simply pay $14.00 at our box office and we’ll give you an annual membership card. Sign your name on the card and bring it with you every time you visit to receive the members’ discount ($8.00 for each film instead of the regular $12.50 admission). If you do the math, your membership pays for itself if you visit three more times after its initial purchase!

Some rules:

1. We ask that you take care of your card, as we do not replace lost or stolen ones. We can laminate your card to help protect it — just ask and we’ll do it while you’re watching the movie!

2. You cannot share your card with friends or family — it’s one membership per person.

3. You must bring your valid and signed membership card every time in order to receive the membership price. Don’t leave home without it!

What bus do I take to get to the Mayfair?

OCTranspo routes #6 and #7 will take you right to our location at the corner of Bank and Sunnyside. You can also take the #10 (formerly #4) from Bronson and walk up Sunnyside.

Where can I park?

There is street parking around the Mayfair. In our experience, Sunnyside and Euclid are your best bets.

To help, here’s a map of the area.

Can I bring food into the theatre?

No, we do not permit outside food or drink in the cinema. We sell popcorn (with real butter!), candy and beverages at our concession stand.

Can I buy take-out popcorn?

Yes! People are always welcome to drop by while we are screening movies throughout the day to purchase items from our candy bar to bring home.

Is your theatre wheelchair accessible?

The Mayfair Theatre is a heritage building which opened its doors in 1932. As such, the theatre’s wheelchair accessibility is limited. To learn more, please read our accessibility page.

Does the Mayfair have a restroom policy?

At the Mayfair, we strive to provide a welcoming environment for all members of our community. Patrons are encouraged to use whichever restroom corresponds with their gender identity.

How do I go about renting the theatre?

Send an email to our programmer, Lee Demarbre ([email protected]), and he will answer all rental inquires.

You can get more information on the theatre and its amenities on our website.

How much does it cost to rent the Mayfair?

The cost of rentals varies according to the day of the week and the time of day. Please contact our programmer, Lee Demarbre ([email protected]), and he will respond ASAP.

You can get more information on the theatre and its amenities on our website.

How come I don’t see any movie listings for the week of ____?

We discontinued our monthly schedule a number of years ago, and now program our films week-to-week (from Friday through the following Thursday).

This allows us to bring in more new films much sooner, and to program more Ottawa Premieres and last minute special screenings (example – a Purple Rain tribute screening for Prince, or a Star Trek VI tribute screening for Christopher Plummer can happen within a week instead of a month or two later).

It also gives us the flexibility to hold over popular films so people have more opportunities to see them (like Parasite, which screened for 5 months!).

We post the schedule for the upcoming week on our website, and on Facebook and Twitter, every Monday afternoon. Ottawa Premieres ans special events are listed in advance on the main page of the website.

You can also subscribe to our email newsletter — just enter your email in the right column on our homepage, or give us your email at our candy bar.

I’d like to advertise at your theatre. Who do I speak to?

Send an email to Josh Stafford ([email protected]) and he will answer all advertising inquires.

You can get more information on advertising options and rates on our website.

How come my phone call wasn’t answered?

Sometimes we are away from our phones either because we’re not open yet (we open a half hour before the first showing of the day) or we are very busy selling tickets and concessions. If you leave us voicemail, we will return your call promptly.

Will you be showing ____ movie?

There are many films that we’d like to show, but it comes down to this: if we have a date booked for it, we’re definitely showing the film. If there is no date booked, it is always a maybe.

Keep checking on our website (or Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram to stay updated on upcoming films. You can also subscribe to our email newsletter — just enter your email in the right column on our homepage, or give us your email at our candy bar.

Why can’t you show certain classic films, like Star Wars or ____?

In many cases, it’s simply because the film isn’t available (the distributor has locked it away, or no Canadian distributor carries the film).

In the case of Star Wars or classic Disney films, the distributor will not allow those films to be shown theatrically.

Do you still show films on 35mm?

Whenever we can! But since the film industry has switched over to digital projection, new films are no longer distributed on celluloid. When there’s an opportunity, we will screen a film on 35mm.

If a film is presented on 35mm, it will say so in our listings.

Support attendants and companions

Stairs in the theatre

• There is one step to enter the front lobby of the theatre (box office).
• To enter the auditorium, there are seven steps going up (there is a railing on either side of the steps).
• The main floor of the auditorium is on a downgrade, and to access the balcony there are steps going up to the back of the theatre.
• There is a step going down into the candy bar, as well as three steps to go down into either washroom.

Getting to and from the Mayfair

Built in 1932 in the depths of the Great Depression, the Mayfair Theatre is one of Ottawa’s last two neighborhood cinemas, and one of the oldest surviving independent movie houses in all of Canada. It has the distinction of never having been owned by, or affiliated with, any of the major cinema chains.

The Mayfair is notable for the fact that it contains a number of architectural features that make it unique in Ottawa, and possibly in Canada. It is one of the few surviving examples of an “atmospheric cinema”, built with a particular theme to enhance the movie-going experience and draw the movie-goer into the world of the imagination. The same architectural features that were incorporated into its interior design in 1932 – the detailing that suggests a Spanish-style villa – have been virtually untouched over these past ninety years.

When you visit, take a few moments to appreciate:

• the four faux-balconies draped with rich fabric to suggest the presence of “hidden” staircases and hallways behind the auditorium walls;
• the two larger balconies topped with clay-tile canopies evoking the roofs of a Mediterranean public plaza;
• the decoration, including medieval-style wrought-iron lamps, iron spears and ornate moulding; and
• Ottawa’s last remaining auditorium clock, in use since the building’s inception and left over from the days when parents would drop their kids off at the theatre for a day of movie-serials.

In 2008, the Mayfair  was declared an official heritage building by the City of Ottawa for its unique architectural and cultural value to the nation’s capital. The Mayfair’s Heritage Designation Plaque is located on the building’s southeast corner.

For more information about the Mayfair, and the history of the movies in Ottawa, please check out Alain Miguelez’s excellent book “A Theatre Near You: 150 Years of Going to the Show in Ottawa-Gatineau“.