Film fans across the UK can enjoy a trip to the movies for just £4 this weekend, as National Cinema Day returns for 2026 with an expanded two-day format.
Renamed National Cinema Weekend, the promotion runs on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, with more than 530 cinemas across the UK already confirmed to take part.
Major chains including ODEON, Cineworld, Vue, Showcase and Picturehouse, along with hundreds of independent cinemas, are participating, giving audiences the opportunity to catch everything from recent blockbusters to new releases, family films and returning classics.
The industry-wide initiative means cinema goers can see films for just £4 a ticket at participating venues, with the promotion covering the vast majority of films, seats and screen formats. A small number of cinemas may vary their prices or charge an uplift for certain premium formats — Cineworld, for example, is charging £6 for IMAX screenings.
Among the movies showing this weekend are Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Dog Stars and Leviticus, while new releases arriving on Friday include Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer’s The Death of Robin Hood. The precise programme will vary between cinemas.
National Cinema Day was launched in its current form by industry body Cinema First in 2022, supported by the UK Cinema Association and Film Distributors’ Association. More than one million admissions were recorded during the last event in 2024, before the promotion took a break in 2025.
This year organisers have doubled the promotion from one day to an entire weekend.
Phil Clapp, Chief Executive of the UK Cinema Association and Director of Cinema First, said the extended format would give audiences greater flexibility while allowing them to enjoy “the widest possible range of films, suiting all tastes”.
Those wanting to take advantage of the offer are advised to book early, particularly for popular films and premium screenings.
The official National Cinema Weekend website allows users to enter their town or postcode to find participating cinemas, check showtimes and then book directly with their chosen venue.
