My husband and I have seen a lot of movies this summer, and it’s made me realise: there are a lot of movie memberships in London. But unless you go to the movies a lot, you might not have heard of any of them.
I love movies, and I love saving money (London can be so expensive!). So with national cinema weekend coming to a close, I figure there are probably a lot of Londoners who have been checking out their local Odeon for a great deal, and might want to see more movies on the big screen.
If you love going to the cinema and live in London, here are four memberships that will help you save on your next movie date:
The Prince Charles Cinema Membership
This is probably the most famous cinema in London—it’s definitely one of the most famous worldwide. The only drawback is that there’s only one location, unlike the others on this list, where there are multiple locations. But the Prince Charles shows amazing arthouse and classic movies, including sing-along screenings and solve-it-yourself Murder She Wrote episodes. It’s one of my favourite places to catch a film, and the value for membership is outstanding.
An annual membership gets you a discounted ticket per screening (with a minimum of £2.50 saved), 15% off all drinks and snacks, £8 tickets for weekday matinees, priority booking, and £1 screenings to mystery movies. The cost? £15, which is the cheapest out of all the movie memberships I could find.
Let’s say you have a friend or partner you want to bring movie-watching; the PCC has you covered. If you want your membership to include an additional ticket, their Plus-One Annual Membership is only £20 per year.
But wait, there’s more! If you want that membership for a lifetime, instead of just a year, the cost is £60. They’ll also throw in 2 free movie tickets with this option. If you want a plus-one, for a lifetime, it’s £100. More information on memberships can be found here.
The Everyman Membership
This was one the first Christmas present that I got for my husband after he moved to London. The Everyman shows mostly new releases in small, sofa-filled theatres, where they bring meals, snacks, and drinks right to you in your seat. It’s a nice way to enjoy a film!
The Everyman Membership is tiered: for £95/year, you get 6 free tickets, can bring a guest for free on select Mondays and Tuesdays, preview films before releases, get 10% off food and drink, and have no online booking fees.
For the rich, there’s also EveryIcon: for £350/year you get everything the Everyman Membership gets, with 24 free tickets instead of 6. The super-rich might like the EveryWhere: Everything listed above, with unlimited tickets for a year (2 per viewing). They also have member’s weekends (this last weekend just passed!) where you can bring a friend for free. More information can be found here.
BFI Membership
The BFI—the British Film Institute—has its headquarters in London. Because of the longevity of the institution, the BFI screens so many amazing movies that aren’t new releases. I’ve seen Funny Girl and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the BFI, and they regularly run movie festivals, with themes like A Road Less Travelled and Elements of Crime.
A £60 annual membership gets you priority booking, 2 free tickets, no booking fees, invites to exclusive member events, and discounts off the BFI shop and food and drink. You also get “Member Row” at IMAX, which is reserved seating sold for the first 24 hours that tickets go on sale. If you want to pay less, you can get a membership for £54 if you set up a direct debit, or £44 for your second year. All details found here.
Picturehouse Membership
This is the only cinema I haven’t tried personally, but it’s been on my list forever! The membership to the Picturehouse is tiered: Standard Membership, Member Plus, or Student Membership.
All memberships: priority booking for films, and events like Q&As and festivals. They also get access to the Member’s Bar on the day of a valid ticket. There are no booking fees, and £3 off each ticket with membership. Film previews before full release and discounts on retail partners are also available to members.
From there, tiers determine discounts. Standard Membership gets you 5 free tickets, and 10% off food & drinks for the first year (this goes up to 20% for your second year). This tier costs between £65–£110, depending on which cinema location you’re buying for.
Member Plus gets you 10 free tickets, and 10% off food & drinks for the first year (this goes up to 20% for your second year), costing between £110–£185.
Student Membership gets you 2 free tickets, and 25% off food and drinks. For only £22–£27, this feels like amazing value for students who love film! All membership information can be found here.
What’s your favourite London cinema? Let me know in the comments—and happy travels!
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