Can you remember the first time you went to the cinema? I can.
For weeks beforehand, it was all I could think about. For weeks afterwards, it was all I could talk about. The build-up, how many jelly worms I could fit into a pick-and-mix cup, whether I should go large on the popcorn, hearing people at school say they'd already seen the film and immediately putting my fingers in my ears to avoid spoilers. Jurassic Park didn’t disappoint. It completely blew my mind.
That anticipation, the shared experience, and the conversations that follow are what make cinema so much more than a form of entertainment. They’re what make it a cultural force.
Cinema’s comeback
Cinema is in rude health.
Digital Cinema Media (DCM) recently shared its Upfronts, revealing that cinema admissions grew 9% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 while DCM’s own revenue increased by 15%.
Comscore figures for August 2026 show UK & Ireland box office revenues up 67% year-on-year, driven largely by Spider-Man, which spent five consecutive weeks at number one in the UK and Ireland. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has also attracted huge audiences, becoming the director’s biggest-ever cinema release.
Across the full 18-week summer box office period, from 1 May to 3 September 2026, revenues reached a record-breaking £527.8 million.
The numbers tell a positive story. But what’s perhaps more interesting is what they reveal about people’s appetite for shared cultural experiences.
Where does culture come in?
So, people are heading back to cinemas in droves. What does that have to do with culture?
“Life, uh, finds a way.” Dr Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park.
Or, to borrow and slightly adapt the quote:
“Cinema, uh, contributes to cultural relevance.” Andrew Robbie, after reading the latest DCM and MTM research.
The DCM Upfronts also introduced new research from MTM and DCM exploring which media channels contribute most to cultural relevance. Culture has become an increasingly important topic across marketing. Whether it's major sporting events, entertainment launches, or social conversations that capture public attention, brands are constantly looking for ways to connect with moments that matter.
To understand what those moments are, researchers surveyed a nationally representative UK audience and asked them to recall cultural moments from the previous 12 months. They defined these as events, trends, or pieces of media that attract widespread attention and spark conversation online and offline.
The findings were revealing.
When respondents were asked to recall cultural moments spontaneously, traditional media and major events dominated. TV accounted for 23%, sport 21%, news 20%, events such as Eurovision and Halloween 11%, and cinema 10%. Social media trends represented just 5%.
When the analysis focused only on commercially available moments that broadcasters and advertisers can actively participate in, three channels stood out: TV entertainment (34%), cinema (28%), and sport (23%). Social media trends accounted for 12%.
Together, cinema, TV and sport delivered 85% of the commercially available cultural moments people remembered.
That’s a powerful reminder that while culture increasingly unfolds across many platforms, the moments that stay with people often originate elsewhere.
Should we be surprised?
“Hold onto your butts.” Ray Arnold, Jurassic Park.
Perhaps not.
Much like the excitement I felt waiting for Jurassic Park, anticipation for major films often builds over weeks, months, and sometimes years. Audiences invest emotionally long before they buy a ticket.
The challenge for brands is knowing how to join that journey.
Sometimes, cultural moments emerge unexpectedly. But cinema offers something increasingly valuable: visibility into moments people are actively looking forward to.
If admissions are growing nearly 9% year-on-year, then we know one thing: being present in that experience puts brands in front of audiences during moments that genuinely matter to them.
We saw this with Barbenheimer. The simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer became a cultural event, generating conversation far beyond cinema audiences. Together, they delivered a record-breaking opening weekend, with nearly 20% of Vue cinemagoers booking back-to-back screenings.v
This year brings another potential cultural collision. Dune: Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday are both scheduled for release on 18 December – a date already being dubbed ‘DunesDay’. Together, the two films are expected to draw massive opening-week admissions.
With trailer views exceeding 100 million on YouTube alone, the question for brands isn't whether audiences are paying attention. It's whether brands should be part of the anticipation that builds before these moments arrive.
For marketers, cinema offers the opportunity to connect with audiences not just during a cultural moment, but throughout the build-up.
The power of the cinema environment
The research also highlighted something cinema has always had in its favour: a uniquely high-quality advertising environment. And honestly, that rings true.
I'm someone who gets to the cinema early. I want to settle in with my oversized drink that I'll never finish and the popcorn that'll barely last half an hour. The lights dim, distractions disappear, and for a couple of hours I'm fully immersed.
It's rare to find environments where people are so present and attentive. For brands, that level of attention is increasingly valuable.
What this means for brands
Three key takeaways stood out from the report:
- Prioritise planned, highly anticipated cultural moments. Anticipation creates engagement long before the event itself.
- Cinema amplifies cultural relevance. It connects brands with moments people actively care about and remember.
- Cinema delivers disproportionate cultural impact. 10% recalled cinema as a cultural moment. Cinema genuinely punches above its weight.
Looking ahead, the 2027 cinema slate is already shaping up to be another strong one. A new Star Wars instalment starring Ryan Gosling joins major family releases including Shrek 5, Bluey, and the next chapter of Frozen.
One of those films will become somebody’s Jurassic Park. A film they'll remember years later, not just because they watched it, but because they experienced it.
For brands, the opportunity is simple: if cinema keeps creating the moments people talk about, remember, and share, how can you make every impression count by becoming part of that journey?
