National Cinema Day, an annual event in which movie theater tickets are heavily discounted, is returning in 2025 with a new title and expanded programming that won’t confine the affordable festivities to one day.
Retitled “@ the Movies,” the initiative — hosted by The Cinema Foundation, the non-profit branch of the National Association of Theatre Owners — will feature a series of quarterly events to promote moviegoing and bolster attendance throughout the year.
Movie theaters across the country will host different promotions for each event. It will commence with National Popcorn Day (offering customers half off the buttery snack and free upgrades) on Jan. 19 and continue with Sneak Peek Saturday on April 19, Date Night @ the Movies on Aug. 15 and Family Day @ the Movies on Nov. 9. Sneak Peek Saturday will offer a look at upcoming summer and holiday films with content from CinemaCon, the annual movie theater industry trade show that offers trailers and other featurettes that are typically reserved for exhibitors and industry professionals. It’s unclear what kind of price cuts or incentives will be offered on the other discount days.
“The Cinema Foundation is committed to this year-long campaign by offering exhibitors opportunities to engage with their communities in fun and exciting ways,” says Bryan Braunlich, executive director of The Cinema Foundation. “This is the result of months of hard work and collaboration among our industry partners, and we cannot wait to invite moviegoers across the country to participate in what will be continued enjoyment at the movies.”
National Cinema Day was created by Jackie Brenneman, then-president of the Cinema Foundation, and her team in 2022 to boost attendance and sell popcorn during the dog days of summer. For one day only, movie tickets were just $3 in the vast majority of multiplexes. (Tickets can run as much as $18 in busy areas like New York City and Los Angeles). It became a huge success, bringing in approximately 8.1 million patrons and accounting for $24.3 million in revenues. In 2023, when the price of tickets increased to $4 a pop, the event was even bigger and resulted in roughly 8.5 million attendees and $34 million in revenues. Both were among the most-attended days of the year at the movies. National Cinema Day wasn’t scheduled in 2024.
“Cinemas are an indispensable part of our culture. These celebrations emphasize the power of moviegoing to bring us all together to share and create long-lasting memories with our friends, families, and community,” says Mike Bowers, chair of the Cinema Foundation.
English (US) ·