Cinema: 3.50-euro tickets boost cinema attendance

The 3.50-euro ticket is bringing audiences back to the cinema. But the figures also tell another story: if the promotion works, it remains to be seen whether a good summer will translate into a sustained recovery. ‘In any case, the truth is,’ comments Lucia Borgonzoni, the Lega senator and Undersecretary at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MIC), in *Il Sole 24 Ore*, ‘that cinemas are doing well. I’ve always said that, when there’s good content, cinemas work, and we see this when there are films that people like, whether Italian or foreign. People do go to the cinema.”

Cinema Revolution – the promotional campaign launched by the Ministry of Culture to encourage cinema-going for Italian and European films during the summer – ended 2026 with 1,676,271 admissions and box office takings of 10.59 million euros. Compared with 2025, the figures are slightly down: -0.5 per cent in admissions and -0.2 per cent in box office takings. Last year, however, there was one extra week. And there were British films. When comparing the same periods, the figures reverse: a +2.5 per cent increase on both counts.

Of the total, Italian films, including co-productions, accounted for 869,641 admissions and 5.49 million: 51.9 per cent of admissions and box office takings. Other European films accounted for 806,630 admissions and 5.10 million. As for the programme line-up, first-run films accounted for 50.8 per cent of admissions, whilst films still in cinemas accounted for 49.2 per cent. The reduced ticket price therefore applies to both new releases and films already in cinemas. The comparison with previous years remains favourable: admissions are 14.3 per cent higher than in 2024 and 1.6 per cent higher than in 2023. Under the Cinema Revolution scheme, cinema-goers pay €3.50 for admission, and the cinema is reimbursed €3 by the MIC, via Cinecittà. The campaign ran from 19 June to 20 September.

Further evidence of a successful summer at the cinemas is the “Cinema in Festa” event: tickets at €3.50 for all films. Over the four days from Monday to Thursday, between 21 and 24 September, there were 786,187 admissions and takings of 2.91 million. Compared with the same days the previous week, admissions rose by 114.38 per cent – more than doubling – whilst box office takings increased by 9.35 per cent. This disparity is the immediate effect of the discount: more seats are filled, but each ticket generates less revenue. Compared with the same days in September 2025, attendance rose by 105.17 per cent and box office takings by 5.73 per cent.

“Cinema Revolution,” adds Undersecretary Borgonzoni, “has become part of people’s routines and has cemented the tradition of summer cinema, with positive results in terms of attendance and public perception. It is also thanks to initiatives such as this that, in practice, the myth that cinema in Italia lacks appeal during the summer months has been debunked.” This shift in perspective is also linked to “the investments made in cinemas in recent years”. “Cinema Revolution”, as well as the “Cinema in Festa” week, have already been confirmed for next year.