At MBS, we love going to the cinema. Recent conversations around the office have revolved around some of our favourites including Hamnet, Marty Supreme and the excruciating but mind-blowing Sirāt, as well as blockbusters like Wuthering Heights and The Drama. As it turns out, the rest of the UK has also fallen back in love with the cinema. After an understandable post-covid dip, choosing to make a trip to the cinema has once again become a regular past-time.
One thing driving this renewed enthusiasm is how good the upcoming slate is – in fact this year is slated to be the best since 2019. Rather than one or two big films drawing in an above average crowd, or a flurry of Oscar-contenders releasing towards the end of the year, there is set to be a continuous run of films across multiple genres drawing in a wider range of audience. Family releases are landing alongside major franchise titles, while British films and mid-budget dramas are holding space in between. This steady flow of films means cinemas are no longer reliant on a handful of peaks to drive footfall, and instead benefit from more consistent attendance across the year, creating a more stable trading environment and more opportunity to programme for different audiences at the same time.
Operators have responded by giving the cinemas themselves a premium upgrade. Seating is now often recliners with wider spacing, improving comfort across longer runtimes, whilst advances in sound and projection, including IMAX and Dolby formats, have raised expectations around picture and audio quality. Premium large formats are also becoming a more important part of the mix, with IMAX reporting record global box office in recent years, driven by demand for films that benefit from scale and technical precision. It’s telling that the phrase, “It’s a film you just have to see in the cinema”, is still used as much today as it has ever been.
Streaming still plays an obvious role in how audiences discover and consume film, but it has also brought into focus what people are looking for when they leave the house. A trip to the cinema now sits alongside other planned leisure activities. It is booked in advance, built into an evening, and experienced in full. Data from Savills shows that consumers are placing increasing value on experiences that justify time spent outside the home, particularly as subscription fatigue grows across streaming platforms. This growing preference for shared, in-person experiences is particularly prevalent among younger audiences and cinema offers this through the audience atmosphere where that collective response is part of what draws people back.
Food and drink is central to that change. Many cinemas now offer full menus, from hot meals to cocktails, either delivered to seats or served in dedicated bar areas. This has altered how time is spent on site, as people arrive earlier, stay after the film, and treat the visit as a complete evening rather than a single activity. The commercial impact is clear. One operator reported average ticket prices of £12.46, alongside food and beverage spend of £11.09 per customer and, in a growing number of cases, what is spent on food and drink matches the cost of the ticket itself. Savills links this to a broader premiumisation of the sector, where higher-quality environments and expanded offers are driving increased spend per visit. According to the British Film Institute, the UK box office reached £996.8m in 2025, moving closer to pre-pandemic levels, with admissions also rising year-on-year and reflecting how the market is growing.
This model is proving resilient against a challenging economic backdrop as cinema remains one of the more affordable ways to spend an evening out, particularly when compared with live events, travel, or even simply going out to the local pub. Ticket prices for concerts and live entertainment have risen significantly faster than cinema admissions in recent years, reinforcing cinema’s position as a more accessible night out. Analysis from Digital Cinema Media shows that admissions have historically held steady during downturns, as consumers prioritise smaller, contained experiences while cutting back elsewhere. The predictability of the cost, and the defined nature of the visit, makes it easier to accommodate within tighter budgets.
Some cinemas have built a strong identity around this. The Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square, has developed such a loyal following through a programme that mixes new releases with cult classics, themed marathons and interactive screenings that when it faced potential closure through redevelopment, 160,000 people signed a petition to save it. Regular events such as sing-alongs and all-night film runs attract audiences who return frequently, often as part of established groups. Many of these screenings sell out repeatedly, demonstrating demand that extends well beyond opening weekends and new releases. The venue has become known for the experience it offers as much as the films it shows, with its programming creating a rhythm of repeat visits throughout the year.
Supporting this is the increased investment across the sector for upgrades and new openings. Everyman Cinemas has continued to expand, building venues around food, drink and design-led spaces rather than traditional auditoriums, whilst at the other end of the market, the former Cineworld on Renfrew Street in Glasgow (incidentally, the tallest cinema in the world) is being redeveloped by Omniplex Cinemas with laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound and premium seating ahead of reopening. Larger operators including Vue International and Odeon Cinemas are rolling out recliner seating, upgraded screens and in-seat service across their estates, representing long-term capital investment rather than short-term upgrades.
In fact, PwC projects that UK cinema revenue will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2028, underpinned by a stronger release schedule and continued investment in the in-person experience. That recovery is expected to be driven by a combination of a fuller, more reliable pipeline of films and a higher-value visit, with audiences spending more time and money each time they attend. Growth is expected to come through a combination of consistent attendance and higher spend per visit, rather than a return to previous patterns alone.
Across the UK, cinemas are now operating with a clearer sense of what they offer – helped in part by the success of the UK film industry. Factors including generous tax relief and business rates, access to world-class film crews, and major streaming platforms building long-term production facilities like Shepperton and Pinewood, mean there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about film’s continued contribution to UK culture, even with a watchful eye on the developing Warner Bros and Paramount story across the Atlantic.
A trip to the cinema today has become part of a wider evening, supported by a strong slate, improved environments and a more developed food and drink proposition. The sector is no longer waiting for audiences to return to old habits. It has given them a reason to form new ones.
