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Report
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Cinema attendance is gradually recovering after the pandemic and Hollywood writers strike, but total admissions are still a quarter below 2019 levels. However, there has been dramatic growth in boutique/luxe…
UK
Leisure and Entertainment
simple
UK Film and Cinema Market Report 2025
"Cinemas should lean into the growing demand for social spaces and immersive leisure experiences which offer an escape from 24/7 online distractions."
John Worthington, Senior Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Opportunities for the film and cinema market
Engage with a new generation of film lovers
Create shared cultural experiences around must-see TV
Protect and promote cinemas as distraction-free spaces – while creating opportunities for interaction
Market dynamics and outlook
Market size & forecast
Market predictions for film and cinema
Box office is forecast to reach £1.14 billion in 2030, with annual fluctuations likely
What consumers want and why
Cinema attendance levels rose four percentage points in 2025, led by the luxe trend
Graph 1: percentage of adults who have visited the cinema in the last 12 months, by cinema type, 2024-25
Membership more than doubles the rate of frequent attendance
Graph 2: cinema behaviours in the last 12 months, 2025
Extra comfy seats, previews and big screen classics would most encourage people to go to the cinema
Graph 3: top three features that would most encourage people to visit the cinema, 2025
Cinema-goers increasingly pick and choose between in- and out-of-home viewing
Graph 4: attitudes towards watching films in the cinema and at home, 2025
Membership drive can help raise the value-for-money perception
Graph 5: attitudes towards cinema ticket prices and membership, 2025
Innovation and marketing
New boutique/luxe cinema openings
Mainstream luxe
Interactive and themed events
MARKET DYNAMICS
Market size
Cinema admissions are estimated to have increased 4% in 2025…
Graph 6: cinema admissions, 2016-25
…while box office value is estimated to have increased 7%…
Graph 7: market value of cinema box office, 2016-25
…and ticket prices are estimated to have risen 3%
Graph 8: average cinema ticket price, 2016-25
Rise in ticket prices and luxe trend have helped to boost revenue
Market forecast
Cinema box office value is forecast to grow 9% by 2030
Market is expected to trend upwards, but increasing visit frequency remains a challenge
Leading players
UK cinema venues have fallen 6% since COVID-19, but screen numbers have remained stable
Graph 9: number of cinemas and screens, 2015-24
Vue and Odeon are the largest UK cinema chains
Boutique/Luxe cinemas are posting double-digit revenue rises
Multiplexes are also developing their luxe offer
Everyman has the highest customer spend growth on Snoop SpendMapper over the past 12 months
Market drivers
Perceptions of the cost-of-living crisis have worsened again during H2 2025
Graph 10: consumer perceptions of the cost of living crisis, 2024-25
Financial wellbeing also remains below pre-crisis levels
Graph 11: financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
The mood of consumer caution is likely to continue
Audience participation presents challenges, but also opportunities
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
Cinema visits
Cinema attendance levels are up four percentage points in 2025…
Graph 12: percentage of adults who have visited the cinema in the last 12 months, 2019-25
…and boutique/luxe attendance increased nine percentage points
Graph 13: adults who have visited the cinema in the last 12 months, by cinema type, 2022-25
All cinema chains saw a rise in attendance levels in 2025, led by Picturehouse, Showcase and Curzon
Cineworld was the most recently visited cinema, followed by Vue and Odeon
Graph 14: cinema visited on the most recent trip to the cinema, 2025
16-34s are the largest cinema-going demographic
Graph 15: age profile of cinema-goers, by cinema type, 2025
Over-55 attendance remains well below pre-COVID levels
Graph 16: adults who have visited the cinema in the last 12 months, by age group, 2019, 2024 and 2025
Frequency of cinema visits
Almost half of cinema-goers went at least once a month in 2025
Graph 17: frequency of visits to the cinema in the last 12 months, 2025
Frequency of visits is gradually improving
Graph 18: frequency of cinema visiting, 2022-25
Men are more likely than women to visit the cinema frequently
Graph 19: frequency of cinema visiting, by gender, 2025
Graph 20: frequency of cinema visiting, by age, 2025
Cinema behaviours
Four out of five cinema-goers have bought food and drink at the venue
A third of those who go to the cinema more than once a month buy sit-down meals at the venue
Graph 21: purchase of food and drink in the cinema in the last 12 months, 2025
A third have also brought in their own food and drink
14% of cinema-goers have used a membership in the past 12 months
Graph 22: other behaviours in the cinema in the last 12 months, 2025
Those who attend disability-friendly screenings are often highly engaged customers
Membership more than doubles the rate of frequent attendance
Graph 23: frequency of cinema visiting, by those who have used membership versus all visitors, 2025
55-64s more likely to buy premium seating
Cinema satisfaction levels
Overall satisfaction levels are generally high
Graph 24: overall satisfaction levels with most recent trip to the cinema, 2025
Sound and image quality have the highest satisfaction rates
Graph 25: satisfaction levels with most recent trip to the cinema, by factor, 2025
Boutique/luxe cinemas have significantly higher satisfaction levels for picture, sound and seating, but food and drink still under-performs
Promoting the cinema environment and seating quality will raise satisfaction
Cinema opportunities
Extra comfy seats, previews and classics on the big screen are the three top draws
Other features include interactive screenings, cinema clubs and Q&As
Graph 26: top three features that would most encourage people to visit the cinema, 2025
Ultra comfort, bragging rights and screen classics
Event TV appeals to one in five cinema-goers
Cinemas should pair food and drinks with major releases served to seat
F&B served to seat, film clubs, interactive screenings and Q&As offer the strongest opportunities for boutique/luxe cinemas
Graph 27: other features that would most encourage people to visit the cinema, by cinema type, 2025
Create communities of shared interest among frequent film-goers
Graph 28: interest in special events, by frequency of cinema attendance, 2025
Cinema attitudes
Contradictory impulses will continue to shape the market
Graph 29: attitudes towards watching films in the cinema and at home, 2025
Cinemas must offer a unique experience and a distraction-free environment
Price is seen as a barrier, but cinema-going could be positioned as an affordable treat
Graph 30: attitudes towards cinema ticket prices, 2025
Interest in membership is five times higher than current usage
Me-time movies
Silent movies versus talkies
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
Launch activity and innovation
Omniplex brings new luxe concept to the north east
Everyman’s new flagship cinema at The Whiteley
Interactive cinema: K-Pop Demon Hunters
Interactive cinema: Wicked & The Devil Wears Prada
Mad about the marketing
Downton drinks
Event TV at the cinema
Cinema tech trends
Back to the future
Advertising and marketing activity
Online social accounts for most marketing spend by cinemas
Graph 31: total advertising expenditure for cinemas across the channels tracked by Nielsen Ad Intel, 2022-25
Everyman has ramped up adspend to capitalise on growing luxe demand
Superman and Bridget Jones top the film adspend chart in 2025 to date
Graph 33: top 10 cinema films that attracted ad spending, January-September 2025
APPENDIX
Market forecast data and methodology
Market forecast and prediction intervals (value) for the cinema box office
Forecast methodology
Report scope and definitions
Market definition
Abbreviations and terms
Consumer research methodology
Key driver analysis
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Snoop SpendMapper methodology
UK Cinema Industry – Trends and Insights
Cinema attendance is gradually recovering after the pandemic and Hollywood writers strike, but total admissions are still a quarter below 2019 levels.
There has been dramatic growth in boutique/luxe cinemas. Attendance in this segment rose nine percentage points in 2025, and has doubled over the last two years from 12% to 24% of adults.
The COVID pandemic permanently accelerated the growth of TV film streaming. Cinema-goers increasingly pick and choose which films to watch in and out of home. Even those who enjoy the cinema viewing experience more than watching at home say they often wait for films to be streamed.
Cinemas can thrive in this challenging environment by offering consumers something they cannot replicate at home. This embraces the immersive, sensory experience offered by new technology, and the broader context of food, drink, comfort and events/other add-ons.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Cinema brands and types of cinema visited in the last 12 months, frequency of visit and demographics
Cinema behaviours including food and drink purchase, membership usage, VIP seating and live event attendance
Cinemas satisfaction levels, strengths and weaknesses
Opportunities for increasing customer engagement, including comfort, food & drink and events
Attitudes to pricing, membership potential and watching films in the cinema versus at home
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