Built in 1938, the Rio served East Vancouver primarily as a movie theatre until 2008, when new owner, Corinne Lea, began to add live music and multimedia and multidisciplinary art events.

The Rio has since become a well known cultural hub in East Vancouver, famous for launching several successful public battles to save the theatre.

The venue includes a lobby with concession voted best in 2010 and 2011 for single-screen theatres in Vancouver,[1] a large stage, and a backstage greenroom for live performers.

The double bill on opening day featured James Cagney and Marjorie Daw in Something to Sing About and Ann Dvorak in She's No Lady, with tickets sold for 25 cents.

[12] Proponents involved in assisting the Rio Theatre in the short term, who also called on the province of British Columbia to amend its antiquated liquor laws in the long term, included British Columbia (BC) member of the Legislative Assembly Spencer Chandra Herbert, City of Vancouver councillor Heather Deal, and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, among others.

[14] On February 9, 2012, the BC government announced that they were making changes to the province's liquor licensing rules to allow venues that serve alcohol to also screen movies, albeit at different times.

[20] After seven months of campaigning, the owners of the theatre were eventually successful in buying the property through a combination of donations from private citizens, public figures and investors, along with a $375,000 grant from the city of Vancouver.