UK wide National Cinema Weekend shows wider role movies can play within mixed use destinations
National Cinema Weekend delivered a strong uplift in footfall at Scotland's GRID Braehead, which combines experiential leisure, dining, family entertainment and an Odeon cinema, home to an IMAX screen. Taking place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September, the first UK wide National Cinema Weekend saw more than 560 participating cinemas offer £4 tickets to all screenings.
Across the weekend, footfall at GRID increased by 15.8% compared with the previous week and 7.7% year on year. The destination also welcomed 11% more visitors than during a typical 2026 weekend without a major film opening.
Sunday delivered the strongest year-on-year performance, with footfall increasing by 12.3% and almost matching Saturday’s visitor levels. Saturday also recorded a 3.9% year-on-year increase, with particularly strong trading periods at lunchtime and during the evening. Footfall between 12pm and 1pm was 28% higher than the same period last year, while visits between 7pm and 10pm increased by 15%.
Many of GRID’s F&B, leisure and retail offerings benefited from the increased footfall as a direct result from National Cinema Weekend, highlighting positive sales performance and a great atmosphere within the centre. The weekend’s performance compares favourably with the opening weekends of some of 2026’s biggest cinema releases. Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivered footfall 38% above a typical GRID weekend, followed by The Devil Wears Prada 2 at 14% and Wuthering Heights at 13%. National Cinema Weekend followed closely behind at 11%, despite not being anchored by a major new release.
Bruce Harley, Manager at GRID Braehead, says: “The performance of National Cinema Weekend demonstrates that cinema’s ability to drive visits extends well beyond major blockbuster releases. To see the weekend perform 11% ahead of a typical weekend at GRID, without one major film acting as the primary draw, is a particularly positive result."
“The strength of Sunday and the clear peaks around lunchtime and the evening also show how cinema visits can complement other parts of a destination. At GRID, visitors can build a wider experience around their film by combining it with food, activities and retail, helping to increase dwell time and create benefits for operators across the destination."
“Shared cultural moments and industry wide initiatives give audiences another reason to come together. For mixed use destinations, the opportunity is to turn that initial cinema visit into a fuller day or evening out.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
