Kino Armata Prishtina

Despite the name of this spot being Kino Armata, as in Cinema Armata, it is surprisingly not only a cinema. It also serves as a concert hall, a debate center, a stand-up comedy venue, and an award show host. Pretty impressive, huh?

The socialist interior tells a great story of our people’s resistance; back from the 1960s to 1999, this space was used by the Yugoslav and then the Serbian Army to host cultural events, which mostly served to further their propaganda and glorify their politics and actions. However, when the war in Kosova ended in 1999, this spot also broke free and repurposed itself in 2018 into Kosova’s own free and alternative cultural hub. This is why it is exactly a pièce de résistance of our history – it’s a testament to taking back the power and giving new life to unpleasant memories.

Now, there is a variety of events happening every day in Kino Armata and you can learn all about them on their official page. They are mostly free, but sometimes you have to pay if there is a certain artist performing and even then it's less than 10 euros. I’ve been there for concerts, exhibitions, films, and for an award ceremony for animators. Every time I go, I feel like I am entering an alternate universe, so one thing is certain: you will find something interesting there and that can be an event or even just a browse through the huge collection of DVDs on the shelves in the lobby!