The Best CINEMA Experiences in London
Get out the red carpet as we’ve have the very best movie activities in the city, from fantastic independent movie theatres, to stellar outdoor cinemas, and immersive film experiences.
📷 @britishfilminstitute
10. BFI IMAX
It’s getting tougher and tougher for cinemas to pry us away from our amazing home setups, with surround sound, crisp massive QD-OLED screens with more colours than real life, and a distinct lack of prats disturbing you with their phones. But sometimes the spectacle demands that you head down to the cinema, whether that is for the latest Christopher Nolan, Mission Impossible, or Denis Villeneuve extravaganza.
And when spectacle is what’s needed then the IMAX is London’s very much no-nonsense answer. With its absurdly large screens and state-of-the-art sounds systems, cinema doesn’t get much better than this. The immersion is so extreme that every fibre of your being will be sucked into the movie. Every punch, every tear, every smile, will be yours. If you haven’t ever been then you owe yourself this.
📷 @backyardcinema
9. Backyard Cinema
Cinema doesn’t get much more fun than this. With an amazingly curated list of both the classics and the latest blockbusters there's absolutely something for everyone here. And to make matters even better they have two immersive setups for your viewing pleasure. First up is LA Nights where you board your flight with Backyard Airlines for some in-flight entertainment. And then you have Miami Beach where you check into your hotel, prop yourself up at the beach bar and then take your place on the sandy shores for your movie of choice.
It’s a bit silly, but incredibly fun, and no better way of enjoying some of the best movies out there. After wandering London for years honing their skills for story-telling, Backyard Cinema are now in their first permanent site which can only be a good thing as they continue to bring fantastic stories to life.
📷 @rooftopfilmclub
8. Rooftop Film Club
Rooftop Film Club atop the Bussey Building in Peckham is one of our very favourite summertime experiences. Head on upthe four or five flights of steps, stock up on all the food & drinks your heart desires, grab yourself a deckchair of your choosing, whack on your personal headphones, and watch an amazing cult movie with beautiful views all around as the sun sets and you wrap up in a blanket under the city stars.
Oppenheimer, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jurassic Park, The Grand Budapest Hotel, this place has such an amazing selection of movies that you’ll never get bored of what’s playing. An absolute winner in our book.
📷 @tastefilm
7. Taste Film
Well if there’s one thing that would make the cinema experience that much better it would be watching an amazing movie while getting served an amazing tasting menu of food about the amazing food in that very movie. This concept ticks so many boxes for us. Cinema should be a multi-sensory experience and we are obsessed with good food so it makes sense to put these together.
Whether it’s Alice in Wonderland (teatime! change seats!), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (mmmm spaghetti tornados), or Matilda (all the chocolate cake you could ever want), these movies will absolutely get the excitement levels up.
📷 @phoenix_cinema
6. Phoenix Cinema
The Phoenix is one of London’s most historic cinemas. Located in East Finchley, it was built in 1912, in all its art deco glory, with a glorious bedazzling auditorium and a beautiful dome ceiling. This place really personifies the glitz and glamour of the romantic golden age of Hollywood.
The cinema plays all kinds of films, from popular blockbusters to independent movies and all your favourite foreign movies too. But the Phoenix is not just a cinema. It also offers guided tours to share its history and how it has changed over the years. Plus, it hosts opera, theatre, ballet, dance, and even a spot of live art. It has a cult following for a good reason and is definitely worth a trip to North London to go and see what all the fuss is about.
📷 @thelunacinema
5. The Luna Cinema
One of the greatest joys of the arrival of spring is the knowledge that it’s nearly time for open air cinema again. Championing this across London and the UK is the Luna Cinema who have some amazing venues and programmes to show off from nostalgic classics to the newest popcorn blockbusters. And it’s all super comfy, with deck chairs, VIP seating if you’re that way inclined, and tons of great food & drink options.
In London you have stunning locations such as Kew Gardens, Westminster Abbey, the Old Royal Naval College, but the best setting has got to be the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. Imagine arriving at this iconic amphitheatre in the heart of Regents Park, waiting for the sun to set with a glass of bubbles in your hand and then Star Wars kicks off. Yes please very much. This really is magic under the stars.
📷 @secret_cinema
4. Secret Cinema
The first rule of Secret Cinema is that you do not talk about Secret Cinema. The second rule about… wait, we’ve got our wires crossed. But Secret Cinema truly is something special. They are the pioneers of immersive film, putting on multiple experiences every year bringing your favourite movies to real life. Whether it be the futuristic Asian food markets of Blade Runner, the zombie Apocalypse of 28 Days Later, or the upside 80s world of Stranger Things, you won’t believe it until you live it.
With all Secret Cinema experiences it’s all about getting involved so get your costumes ready to blend in, watch the movies to prepare and binge listen to the soundtracks in advance. On arrival your phone gets locked away (soz all you social media addicts) and you enter this incredible experience. But shhhhhh to tell you any more would be a crime too terrible to speak of - this is a secret cinema after all. All that needs to be said is that this is the very best way to experience cinema so get yourself booked in now!
📷 @ttliquor
3. TT Cinema
London is blessed with plenty of jaw-droppingly great cocktail bars and more are added every day. Yet TT Liquor continues to be the trendsetter in this scene as one of a few you can consistently mention at the top. Boasting one of our favourite cellar bars in town, they also have a really cool hidden away roof terrace. And live music. And cocktail masterclasses. And one of the best stocked liquor shops. Aaaaaaand a cinema.
Which puts on cult classics and vintage masterpieces. Have a few cocktails beforehand (in the sunshine if the weather’s working for you) and then head into the cinema room for an amazing movie. Current upcoming flicks include Moulin Rouge, Jackie Brown, Sin City, and The Crow - all absolute favourites of ours!
📷 @thecastlecinema
2. The Castle Cinema
Cinema at its core is about entertainment. And sometimes that means heading over to the multiplex for the latest dumb superhero action move. But sometimes its about heading to a smaller cinema for something a bit more interesting. London has a bounty of independent cinemas that will put most cities to shame. And we love them.
Nowhere more so than The Castle, which brings old school cinema to the modern day. This lovely establishment can be found in a pretty unusual neck of the woods, off the beaten path. But the community that surrounds this place is in fact what makes it special. Join a bunch of avid cinephiles, watch a quirky little something special, and become a small part of somewhere with a big heart.
📷 @princecharlescinema
1. The Price Charles Cinema
The Prince Charles Cinema has taken the art of cinema-going and super-sized it for us. Not only do they show a lot of the latest releases but they are all about having a constantly changing list of cult movies showing on their screens. Across just one week you can have movies covering Italian classics, James Bond, romance, blaxploitation, the Vietnam war, aliens, Indiana Jones, surrealist horror, anime, dystopian societies, anime, B movies and sci-fi. Ooof good job.
They also have some wildly popular movie marathons and seasons. Wanna watch the extended Lord of the Rings back-to-back? You got it. There’s also a 635 minutes Scream marathon and all the Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th movies if you love your horror. If joy is more your thing then head to a singalong for Encanto, The Greatest Showman, or The Sound of Music. There’s so much choice here you will always find something you love.