As Marvel’s Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally gears up for release in British Cinemas on Friday, May 6, new research shows that viewers could spend up to 104% more on their tickets, depending upon their cinema location. The data, by savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, examined opening day’s ticket prices across Vue, Odeon and Cineworld venues in the UK’s biggest cities.
Data reveals Vue is the cinema offering the best value for money, charging an average price of £6.57 for both an adult and child ticket across all of their UK cinemas. A family of four, made up of two adults and two children, can expect to pay on average £26.28 at the popular chain – the cheapest of all retailers analysed.
In not so marvel-lous news for those without a local Vue cinema, the data reveals a huge disparity in average ticket prices across leading chains. In fact, those opting to see the film at a Cineworld, or Odeon cinema could end up paying double the price per adult ticket compared to Vue’s costs: £12.94 (+97%) and £13.39 (+104%) respectively.
Average price of a Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cinema ticket on opening day:
| Cinema chain |
Average cost of 2D adult ticket |
Average cost of 2D child ticket |
Average cost of 2D tickets for two adults and two children |
| Vue |
£6.57 |
£6.57 |
£26.28 |
| Cineworld |
£12.94 |
£9.44 |
£44.76 |
| Odeon |
£13.39 |
£9.94 |
£46.66 |
| Average across top cinema retailers |
£11.69 |
£8.99 |
£39.23 |
Further research also reveals that location also has an impact on the price fans will pay to watch the latest Marvel box office hit on the big screen.
Those based in Swansea will be able to bag the cheapest seats in the UK, with average ticket prices across all three cinema chains analysed coming in at just £6.79 for an adult ticket on opening day. Following closely behind is Bristol, where movie-goers will pay an average of £7.20 for the same tickets.
At the other end of the spectrum, Londoners are expected to pay 108% more compared to the Welsh coastal city, where the average cost for an adult ticket comes in at a pricey £14.09. Following behind is Sheffield, where an average adult ticket will set consumers back on average £13.63.
Average price of 2D adult and child tickets at the top three retailers on opening day across the UK:
| Rank |
City |
Average 2D adult ticket cost |
Average 2D child ticket cost |
Total |
| 1 |
Swansea |
£6.79 |
£5.91 |
£12.70 |
| 2 |
Bristol |
£7.20 |
£6.20 |
£13.40 |
| 3 |
Leicester |
£8.86 |
£7.21 |
£16.07 |
| 4 |
Cardiff |
£8.48 |
£7.74 |
£16.22 |
| 5 |
York |
£8.52 |
£8.52 |
£17.04 |
| 6 |
Oxford |
£9.17 |
£7.24 |
£16.41 |
| 7 |
Manchester |
£9.65 |
£7.83 |
£17.48 |
| 8 |
Cambridge |
£10.81 |
£8.53 |
£19.34 |
| 9 |
Belfast |
£10.33 |
£9.09 |
£19.42 |
| 10 |
Edinburgh |
£11.71 |
£8.88 |
£20.59 |
| 11 |
Newcastle |
£11.92 |
£8.67 |
£20.59 |
| 12 |
Coventry |
£12.58 |
£8.88 |
£21.46 |
| 13 |
Nottingham |
£12.59 |
£8.71 |
£21.30 |
| 14 |
Brighton |
£12.64 |
£8.86 |
£21.50 |
| 15 |
Leeds |
£12.67 |
£10.12 |
£22.79 |
| 16 |
Glasgow |
£13.00 |
£9.56 |
£22.56 |
| 17 |
Liverpool |
£13.33 |
£9.37 |
£22.70 |
| 18 |
Birmingham |
£13.34 |
£9.51 |
£22.85 |
| 19 |
Sheffield |
£13.63 |
£10.45 |
£24.08 |
| 20 |
London |
£14.09 |
£10.63 |
£24.72 |
When it comes to which cinema outlets are offering the cheapest seats in the UK, the Vue cinemas in Cardiff, Leicester, Glasgow Fort and Oxford share the top spot, where tickets can be purchased for just £4.99.
However, viewers heading to Cineworld in Leicester Square, London should prepare themselves for a pricey day out, as they’ll be charged an average of £21.50 for an adult ticket – over three times the price of the UK’s cheapest tickets (331%). Outside of London, the most expensive tickets will be bought by those heading to Odeon Broadway Plaza in Birmingham at £17.14 per adult ticket.
Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “Marvel films are one of the most exciting events in the world of cinema. With Dr Strange fans having waited patiently for a sequel since 2016, this new release is already causing a huge buzz and cinema chains are set for a busy weekend of welcoming eager fans.
“However, this data proves that some planning would be beneficial before rushing to the big screen as the same experience could be significantly more expensive depending on where you opt to go to the cinema. If you want to avoid paying over the odds, it’s worth comparing prices at different local cinemas before snapping up your ticket.
“It’s also worth checking VoucherCodes.co.uk for cinema deals that could nab you an even better deal on your tickets as well as your cinema snacks, because what’s a movie without popcorn?”
