Find your Private Cinema in London

Binge watching at home is great for a lazy weekend, but when it comes to a movie night, you can’t beat the big screen. Whether you’re hosting a private film screening, corporate presentation or a movie night, our roundup of the best cinemas for hire in London is sure to come in handy. Perhaps you’re after an old school theatre for a Hollywood themed birthday party, or maybe you’re looking for a modern cinema with great audio-visual facilities for a glam film premiere. No matter what you’re planning, we’re sure to know a London cinema that suits. And the best part? We’ll do the legwork for you, so you’ll be kicking back with an oversized bucket of popcorn in no time!

In order to choose from all of these cinemas and theatres for hire, you will have to compare them with each other. Tagvenue makes it very easy, but you still have to know what you’re looking for. Here are the most important things to consider when choosing a private cinema in London:

• Location of the venue - Where are you going to carry out your screening session? Private cinemas are abundant all over central London, but if you live in the suburbs, you can check if there’s a cinema room for hire in your area. You can opt for one of the iconic, independent cinemas if you want to add a pleasant atmosphere to your screening.

• Means of transport - How are you going to get to your cinema? If you usually commute by public transport, hiring a space close to a bus or tube station would be your best bet. When browsing on Tagvenue, you can find the name of a nearby station under the name of each venue. 

• Parking facilities - Are you going to get there by car instead? You should check if the venue has some sort of free parking nearby. You can either send a message to the venue manager or check the venue page for more details.

• Accessibility - Will someone attending your private screening need a fully accessible venue? Many of the cinemas and theatres in London are placed on the ground floor, but it’s always best to make sure you won’t run into any issues beforehand.

• Amount of seats - How many guests do you plan for your screening? Private cinemas in London are available in all sizes - from tiny sofa cinemas for up to 20 people, to huge screening rooms fit for movie premieres. Smaller cinemas are usually cheaper, so it’s best to know your final headcount before signing your contract.

• Screen size - Do you want that big screen experience from your cinema hire? Sofa cinemas are nice and cheap, but industrial-grade projectors and huge screens are usually dedicated to fully-fledged cinemas. By looking at the photos you can easily judge what kind of space you want.

• Hire costs - What is your budget? When looking for the best deal for a private cinema near you, you have to consider both the price and the pricing model of the venue. Most cinemas for hire in London follow a ‘dry hire’ model - meaning you get charged a flat fee either per hour, or per 4-hour screening session. However, some other spaces could set their price based on how many people will attend the screening, or have you set a minimum spend, just like in some bars or restaurants. If you have a set budget, you can filter your venue search results by minimal price so that you can find the best cinema deal quicker.

• Snacks - What’s a movie night without popcorn and snacks? Different private cinemas have different policies on that. While smaller cinemas could allow you to bring in your own foodstuffs, cinemas with their own snack bar will usually have you purchase everything you bring into the screening room. If you have any questions, it’s always better to ask the venue manager instead of being surprised on the hire day.

There are many different reasons you would want to organise a private screening. First of all, it’s just a great way to hang out with friends. While you could organise a movie night at home, watching movies or videos with your friends on a big screen is going to make the event much more enjoyable and special. If you’ve just finished your own movie, doing an open screening would encourage indie movie enthusiasts to check out your work. If your venue allows for this, you can even sell tickets for the screening so that you can raise funds for your next project, or a charity of your choice. If you have movie critics or producers you want to impress, it’s usually expected to carry out the screening in a dedicated screening room to give them the ultimate experience.

Tagvenue is going to help you take your movie watching experience to the next level. If you still have any doubts or question, you can check out the FAQ section below.

Private Cinemas in London FAQ

How much do I have to spend on a private cinema in London?

You can hire venues for private screenings in London for as little as £120 per hour. If you’re looking for something bigger, you should expect prices anywhere from £300 to £2000 per hour and beyond. Hire costs will vary depending on the time of day, size and location of the venue. (All data from Tagvenue.)

In which areas of London can I find private cinemas?

Private cinemas and theatres are especially abundant in Central London. For more intimate screening spaces, you should start your search around Soho Square Gardens. Covent Garden and St. Giles also have some medium sized cinema rooms you could be interested in. If you’re looking for the best of the best, there are some huge cinema spaces for hire right by Leicester Square.

At which time frames can I schedule private screenings?

In London you can hire a private cinema for any time of the day. While most of them will be available between 8:00 and 18:00, you can find cinemas that will allow screening for as late as 1:00.

What can I watch in a private cinema?

Modern cinemas allow for consumption for any digital media. You can watch one of the movies from the cinema’s library, give them a CD or USB drive with a private recording of yours, or even watch YouTube videos! When it comes to analog means of video, such as roll film or VHS, not every cinema may have these available. Remember to check the venue page for more details and ask the venue manager about the terms of service.