‘I don’t touch my phone. At home, I’d be scrolling’: why young people are flocking to independent cinemas

‘The rich history of cinema’ … younger moviegoers are particularly keen on independent theatres. Photograph: Tashi-Delek/Getty Images

A new generation of film lovers is helping to drive an increase in cinema attendance across the UK. As the industry slowly recovers from the decline of audiences during the pandemic – there were 126.5m admissions in 2024 compared with 176.1m in 2019, the rise in younger people returning to cinema may be due to a newfound love for film developed during the lockdown years. Although figures are yet to be restored to pre-pandemic levels, admission rates are continuing to increase, and it is younger audiences in particular who are showing significant enthusiasm, with figures from the Cinema Advertising Association suggesting that under-35s make up 50% of cinemagoers across the board.

The younger audience discovered the depth of the history of cinema in lockdown