With tickets at 3.50 euros, the Palencia Cinemas are preparing for an avalanche of attendance… and a breath of fresh air for the industry
The Film Festival returns once again to Palencia with reduced prices and a program that will try to make viewers want to sit in their seats again. From today, June 3, and until June 6, the Palencia Cinemas will offer tickets from only 3.50 eurosan initiative that has proven to be a success in previous editions.
Javier Margareto, manager of the Palencia Cinemas, has shared with us his enthusiasm for these days where the theaters are once again filled with emotions. “People come almost invasively these days,” says Margareto. And this event, which is held twice a year, in October and June, usually attracts a large crowd of spectators to the seats. Although the October edition usually registers greater attendance due to bad weather, the June edition is not far behind. “The increase in attendance during these four days can be 300 to 500 percent more compared to a normal week”adds the manager.
Javier Margareto: “2024 is not being good. “The first half of the year has 20 or 30 percent less attendance compared to 2023.”
The Film Festival is a breath of fresh air for the industry. Margareto recognizes that the year has not been easy for cinemas, cutting short their hopes of recovering pre-pandemic attendance levels due to several factors. “2024 is not being good. The first semester of the year has 20 or 30 percent less attendance compared to 2023,” she points out. According to Margareto, the writers’ strike in the United States and the lack of attractive premieres in the first half of the year have been factors that have significantly affected the numbers.
Family cinema continues to be king in theaters
Of course, he points out that in the coming months there will be premieres of what he claims are the public’s preferences: family cinema is still king. Movies like “The Benetón Family” or “Garfield” have had great success, and premieres like “Inside Out 2,” “Despicable Me 4” and “Deadpool and Wolverine” are eagerly awaited.. “For young audiences and families, these titles are highly anticipated,” says Margareto.
It is precisely the young public is the one that is costing them the most, according to the manager, and that comes from the modes of consumption: “Many of them also consume movies on mobile devices, computers, tablets… and that is harming us. But what we say is that cinema can only be in a cinema, on a big screen with no greater distraction than watching a movie and being totally focused on it. Only cinema gives that, that intimacy”.
Reducing ticket prices is not a solution
Although Palencia is one of the cities with the most affordable prices, Margareto explains that constantly reducing ticket prices would not be a viable solution. “If the price were constantly lower, people would consume the same thing, but at lower prices… The costs of maintaining cinemas are high and must be covered,” he explains, adding that, compared to other European countries, such as France or Germany , “the average price is much higher than that of Spain, so I believe that in leisure, “There is no cheaper leisure than going to the cinema.”.
On this path there is the Senior Cinema program, on Tuesdays with tickets at 2 euros for those over 65 years of age. “The first initiative worked very well, but this second one is having a harder time getting started,” admits Margareto. However, he is confident that the influx will increase with the change of season. Remember that the program will run until December 31 of this year.
Updated screens and improved lobby
Finally, to ensure that viewers go to the cinema in the best conditions, Margareto points out that this entails updating the facilities. The modernization of the cinema billboard with screens and the change of seats in the theaters has only been the beginning… “We are trying to update ourselves as much as possible. We want to improve the screens so that they have better visibility during the day; and also give a touch of modernity to the lobby of the Avenida Multicines”Margareto proposes.
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