UK & Ireland cinema admissions hit 130m for third year

The Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) represents the interests of film distributors in the UK and Ireland. Its membership ranges from Hollywood studios to independent operators and is responsible for 99% of all films released theatrically in the territory.

UK and Ireland cinema admissions reached 134m in 2025 (vs. 138m in 2024), a slender dip of 3% year-on-year.

Exceeding 130m cinema admissions for the third consecutive year, the UK and Ireland theatrical sector continued its robust post-pandemic recovery. Q2 and Q3 provided the year’s top periods of footfall, whilst July was the strongest individual month for cinemagoing, closely followed by December. Cementing its position globally as one of the more consistent performing theatrical territories, the UK and Ireland also delivered 4% of world box office in 2025 from just 1% of the global population.

Cinema release highlights in 2025 included top three films A Minecraft Movie, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Wicked: For Good; big budget spectacles The Fantastic Four: First Steps and F1 The Movie; high concept horrors Sinners and Weapons; comedy dramas One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme; fantasy flicks Avatar: Fire and Ash and How to Train Your Dragon; animations Zootropolis 2 and Chainsaw Man: The Movie; and homegrown hits I Swear, Pillion and 28 Years Later.

From a near level launchpad of admissions, box office (£1.07bn vs. £1.06bn in 2024) and the number of releases (1,092 vs. 1,124 in 2024) laid down across 2025, the UK and Ireland theatrical sector is already enjoying a stellar start to 2026. With a glittering array of marquee titles, local productions and potential breakout hits, the year to come looks to hold something for every audience to enjoy on a trip to their local cinema.

Up-to-date information on the upcoming 2026 theatrical slate can be found on the FDA Release Schedule.