Latest figures confirm that 2019 was another exceptional year for the UK cinema sector, with admissions at their second highest level in 50 years and box office breaking the £1.25 billion barrier for the third year running.
Last year saw 176,054,591 admissions to UK cinemas, just 0.5 per cent down on the historic high seen in 2018, with equally impressive box office of £1,251,836,436.
That strong box office was led by Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Joker and Jumanji: The Next Level alongside British film titles including Downton Abbey, Rocketman, Last Christmas, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Yesterday. and break-out successes such as Judy, Knives Out, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Stan and Ollie, Fishermen’s Friends, Blue Story and Pain & Glory.
That exceptional slate coincided with a continuation of ongoing and massive investment by UK cinema operators in refurbishing and growing the country’s cinema infrastructure, with over 20 new sites opening across the country and many more planned for 2020 and beyond, ensuring audiences will continue to enjoy the best possible cinematic experience.
A full Press Notice explaining the figures in more detail, issued by the cross-industry body Cinema First can be found here.