This weekend will be one of the lowest weekends since the end of the second lockdown in the UK, and to add insult to injury, the industry cancelled the much-needed National Cinema Day next weekend.
National Cinema Day was launched in the UK in 1995 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema in the UK, with all cinemas charging £1 on 15th June 1995, with over 1.5m admissions. Cinemas showed new releases, previews and classic films. It was repeated in 1996 and 1997 and was similarly successful.
Ahead of the 1998 National Cinema Day, Daniel Battsek, chairman of the All Industries Marketing Committee for Cinema, said: “National Cinema Day is fast becoming an institution.”On National Cinema Day 1998, we are toasting the success of British Cinema and its continued development.” No admission figures were made public for 1998’s event, which was half price and sponsored by McDonald’s..
Had National Cinema Day continued beyond 1998, it would have been the catalyst that would have helped admissions continue to grow beyond 2002, and admissions would have topped 200m many years ago. In 1994, after the huge success of Jurassic Park industry predicted admissions would top 200m by 2000, with the longer-term target talked at a Screen International Conference in the mid-90s of 350m+ within 25 years. While admissions didn’t top 200m by 2000, they continued to grow steadily until 2002.
But it didn’t become an annual event like Fete Du Cinema in France; it was the last one until 2022. 2022’s National Cinema Day had 1.46m admissions tickets £3; 2023’s National Cinema Day had 1.56m admissions; 2024’s National Cinema Day had 1 m+ admissions tickets £4 and 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.
now reads like dark comedy—because the UK industry abandoned it immediately after, while France and Ireland kept theirs thriving for decades.
The result?
- Ireland’s admissions grew (thanks to consistent, aggressive pricing strategies).
- France’s Fête du Cinéma became a cultural staple (€4 tickets, 4 days a year, packed houses).
- The UK’s admissions flatlined (because the industry lied about ticket prices, killed discounts, and bet on gimmicks).
Why Did the UK Fail Where Ireland & France Succeeded?
1. Short-Term Greed Over Long-Term Growth
- Ireland/France: Saw cheap tickets as an investment in audience-building.
- UK: Saw them as a temporary loss leader—then panicked when profits didn’t instantly spike.
2. The “Average Ticket Price” Con
- The UK industry loves claiming “ticket prices fell in 2018!”—but that’s statistical fraud.
- They included £1 community screenings, child tickets, and off-peak discounts to fake a drop.
- Meanwhile, real prices (weekend, prime-time, IMAX) kept rising.
- Ireland/France: Were honest about pricing, so they fixed the problem.
3. Cultural Commitment vs. Corporate Cynicism
- France/Ireland: Treat cinema as a public good (like museums or libraries).
- UK: Treats it as a cash cow (milk it until it dies).
The Proof is in the Data
| Country | Annual Cheap-Ticket Promo? | Admissions Trend (2002–2024) |
|---|---|---|
| UK | No (abandoned after 1998) | Flat (1% growth in 2018) |
| Ireland | Yes (National Cinema Day) | Growing (consistent audience reinvestment) |
| France | Yes (Fête du Cinéma since 1985) | Stable (despite streaming wars) |
Conclusion: The UK’s stagnation isn’t about Netflix, strikes, or “content droughts”—it’s about an industry that refuses to learn.
How to Fix This (Before It’s Too Late)
- Bring Back National Cinema Day—Permanently
- Not just one day.
- £3 tickets, aggressively marketed.
- End the “Average Ticket Price” Lie
- Publish real pricing data (peak vs. off-peak, by region).
- Admit that £15 tickets are killing the habit.
- Copy Ireland’s Playbook
- Discount Tuesdays (every week, no excuses).
- Loyalty schemes that reward frequent viewers.
- Stop Blaming Audiences
- People aren’t “lazy” for choosing Netflix—they’re rational.
- Cinema must earn their time and money.
The Final Insult
The UK had the solution in 1998—then threw it away for 24 years. Now, even after 2022- 2024’s success, it’s doubling down on failure.
Will 2025 be the year the industry wakes up? Or will it keep pretending the problem is everyone else? 🎬💀
Your move, cinema bosses.