UK National Cinema Day sees record audiences

Leading box office analysts, Comscore, report that cinemas taking part in the event generated box office of over £4.6 million, equating to almost 1.56 million admissions, a 6 per cent increase on last year’s edition, and further proof of the nation’s love for its favourite leisure activity.

As expected, amongst the most popular films on the day were recent mega-hits Barbie and Oppenheimer, and new movies such as The Equalizer 3 and Cobweb, plus recent releases Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Elemental, The Meg 2 and Blue Beetle. Also in the mix was the recently re-released 30thAnniversary edition of Jurassic Park.

Early findings from nationwide survey work undertaken with those who participated showed an exceptional 97 per cent satisfaction rate, with 95 per cent of attendees saying that they would happily recommend the cinema-going experience to friends and family.

Three quarters of those surveyed also said that they were now likely to return in the coming weeks, and with box office currently running 10 per cent higher than 2022 at the same stage, cinemas are getting ever-closer to their impressive pre-pandemic levels.

National Cinema Day was developed by the cross-industry body Cinema First and supported by the Film Distributors’ Association and the UK Cinema Association.

Welcoming these initial findings, Iain Jacob, Chair of Cinema First, said:

“National Cinema Day is intended to celebrate the nation’s love of cinema-going and to say a ‘big thank’ you to audiences through providing a great offer to everybody in the UK.

After the success of last year’s inaugural event, to see this second edition prove even more successful shows beyond doubt that the cinema experience offers the most enriching and positive form of escapism. We are delighted to have been able to welcome so many people back to the Big Screen.

Thank you to everybody who came.”