Living Large: the rise of luxury cinemas

Airports offer a variety of restaurants while you wait to board your flight. There really is something for everyone in most nationwide airports; Wetherspoons is fine, Frankie and Bennies is okay, Burger King is average, Yo! Sushi is nice, and Bar Burrito is actually delightful.

However, when you think about the smug people sipping mimosas, getting waited on hand on foot and eating the finest gourmet grub mere feet away in the VIP first class no. 1 lounge you suddenly remember you are cattle class, nothing less, nothing more.

VIP deals haven’t just popped up in worldwide airports, most sports arenas and stadiums up and down the country offer a premium service for a pretty buck. Take for example the Scotland vs. Kazakhstan game on November 19th; a premium package will cost you just under £3000.

Following suit are cinemas. Cineworld, the UK’s largest cinema chain, offers a VIP package that will set you back £32. Included in the price is access to an exclusive VIP lounge and bar, access to a VIP auditorium with luxurious ‘La-Z boy’ reclining seats and a buffet which includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and cinema favourites like popcorn, hot dogs and nachos.

Other top cinemas in the UK such as Vue and Odeon offer similar deals on a smaller scale; Vue has VIP seating and Odeon has VIP seats and a wine bar with on-site restaurants in select locations.

Competition is rife due to luxury cinemas such as Everyman and the Dominion offering fine dining in on sight restaurants, luxury décor and waiters to give out food throughout screenings.

But why is there such a rise in popularity for luxury cinemas? In 2017, US box office numbers fell to an all-time low due to streaming services such as Netflix, the ubiquitous streaming service which now has over 150million worldwide users.

This year, new streaming services such as Appletv+ and Disney+ are launching. According to CNBC the new Apple streaming platform is estimated to gain 136million subscribers in its first year thanks to original movies and Tv shows.

2019’s most anticipated movie “The Irishman”, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro is set to be released as a Netflix exclusive later this month. Other big budget high profile films released as Netflix exclusives include 4-time Oscar winner “Roma”, Eddie Murphy’s “Dolemite Is My Name” and this year’s Oscar front runner “Marriage Story” starring Scarlett Johannson and Adam Driver in career best roles.

Exclusive rights to big name films such as “The Irishman” means that people are subscribing more and more to streaming services like Netflix and the cinema almost feels like a stupid concept given the fact you can watch films for much cheaper via streaming services in the comfort of your own home.

Georgia Cooper, founding member of the Dundee Film Society explains “The streaming revolution has definitely impacted the cinema. People see it like why they would go pay to watch a film when they can stream it for free online. People prefer home comforts and things like Netflix are so easily accessible nowadays.”

In recent years, cinema has undoubtedly slumped. Yet in 2018, cinemas saw their biggest sales figures meaning there is a clear demand for a taste of luxury in the current streaming climate.

Cooper goes on to discuss the rise in luxury cinemas in connection with the digital streaming revolution of late “Cinemas feel they need to do something to entice customers to come back and luxury packages may be just the thing.”