UK Cinemas report a record-breaking day on Saturday, thanks to National Cinema Day.
The pandemic wiped out cinema attendance across the world when it hit us back in 2020. This is of course due to the shuttering of all the theaters on a global level. But thankfully, movie screens are back in business. Back in 1997, a £1 Cinema Day managed to bring in 1.34 million UK cinema admissions. But this past Saturday, National Cinema Day was held. And it saw over 1.46 million UK cinema admissions, thanks to every seat, and every screen participating costing £3. This marks a remarkable accomplishment for UK cinemas. And proves that an annual National Cinema Day is in the industry’s best interests going forward.
THE FULL DETAILS
UK cinemas participating in yesterday’s National Cinema Day have reported record-breaking admissions at their venues. Figures released by leading box office analysts Comscore confirm that Saturday 3 September saw over 1.46 million UK cinema admissions. This is around three times the number normally seen for the same day in the most recent pre-COVID years and exceeds the record of 1.34 million set by the last UK event of its kind, a £1 Cinema Day held back in 1997.
Enticed by a bargain ticket price of just £3 but also by shows featuring a diverse mix of current and recent film releases as well as much-loved classics, cinema-goers across the UK responded in huge numbers to the invitation to celebrate the unique big screen experience.
BEST PERFORMERS
Amongst the best-performing titles on the day were Minions: The Rise Of Gru, DC League Of Super-Pets, and Top Gun: Maverick, as well as the 40th-anniversary re-release of the classic ET.
National Cinema Day was developed by the cross-industry body Cinema First and supported by the Film Distributors’ Association and the UK Cinema Association.
IAIN JACOB
Welcoming the success of the event, Iain Jacob, Chair of Cinema First, said:
“The appeal to audiences of the true cinema experience is universal, enduring, and deep-rooted. We wanted to celebrate this with a ‘big thank’ you to audiences and a great offer for everybody in the UK. People clearly really loved our inaugural National Cinema Day. The cinema experience has always been the most enriching and positive form of escapism, by combining the joy of cinema with an amazingly accessible price we are proud to have supported our audiences at this incredibly challenging time.” Thank you to everybody who came.’
A huge thank you to all those who participated in National Cinema Day. And thank you to all those people in the United States who also participated in the event in movie theaters across the country.
Source: UK Cinema Association
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
