The UK’s cinema prices fell for the first time in 17 years in 2018, while the cost of West End tickets continues to rise.
According to the UK Cinema Association, the average cinema ticket decreased from £7.49 ($9.85/€8.63) in 2017 to £7.22 last year due to “tactical discounting.”
In 2017, West End passes cost around £3 less than they did last year at £46.71, with the average ticket price in 2018 sitting at £49.25.
The hike, which has gone up 30 per cent since 2012, has been driven by the success of top shows like Hamilton.
Society of London Theatre president Kenny Wax said, according to the BBC: “Increasingly, people seem to want to invest in high quality cultural experiences, and the West End is benefiting from this trend.”
Both the theatre and cinema industries have released figures showing rising attendances, with 177 million cinema tickets sold, the highest for 48 years, and 34 million theatre tickets purchased.
Screen International’s senior reporter Tom Grater said the average price drop is partly down to the popularity of deals like Cineworld Unlimited and Meerkat Movies, as well as having to pull people away from their TVs and home comforts. 
Grater said: “They have rapidly expanded in the last few years, so traditional exhibitors like Odeon and Cineworld have to figure out how to deal with that competition because in towns where previously there might have only been one multiplex, there might also be a swanky new indie cinema as well.
“But I think the key concern is more them competing against things like Netflix and the fact you can get really quality entertainment at home these days, so they need to slightly reshape their models.”
Image: Pixabay
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