GoKawiilGuinness crowns Germany's Traumpalast Leonberg the largest IMAX screen, but 70mm fans disagree
The Traumpalast Leonberg cinema in Baden-Württemberg, Germany holds the Guinness World Record for largest movie screen by surface area, at 127 feet wide and 69 feet tall. But that title applies to IMAX's digital format, which uses a 1.90:1 aspect ratio and is criticized by purists as inferior to the taller, squarer 1.43:1 15/70mm film format that IMAX enthusiasts consider the true premium experience.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The dispute highlights a persistent divide within IMAX's own branding, where digital 'LieMax' installations often get lumped in with true 70mm film theaters despite offering a markedly different, less sharp visual experience. For moviegoers chasing the definitive big-screen experience, the record-holder in raw size isn't necessarily the best technically, complicating claims about what 'biggest IMAX' really means.
- Traumpalast Leonberg's IMAX screen holds the Guinness record for largest surface area at about 8,770 square feet.
- That record applies to IMAX Digital, not the 15/70mm film format many enthusiasts view as superior.
- IMAX's 70mm format uses a taller 1.43:1 aspect ratio and claims sharper resolution than digital or 35mm prints.
Source: engadget.com — Alec Hively, 2026-09-14
Published there as: “What's the biggest IMAX theater in the world? It depends who you ask”
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