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Long live the cinema! Even with the infinite number of movies that are at our fingertips on streaming, Brits still love going to the movies. Cinema attendance among Gen Z is, in fact, on the rise and young people are reportedly flocking to their local picturehouses to watch cult classics and rereleases. We want to make sure it stays that way.
Time Out’s global network of experts have collaborated to create a blockbuster list of the 100 greatest cinemas on the planet right now, with advice on how you can support them to ensure they stick around for future generations. The ranking features theatres in Canada, Japan, India and Argentina, as well as 23 cinemas that are here in the UK.
The top ranked British cinema was BFI Southbank in London, followed by Prince Charles Cinema and Picturehouse Central, both also in London. You can read more about all the capital’s kinos in the list here. The highest ranked cinema outside of the capital was Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast, which placed 22nd.
The picturehouse has been around since 1968 and is widely regarded as Northern Ireland’s leading independent cinema. It can be easy to miss, inconspicuously located inside a Georgian terrace next to Queen’s University, but the inside is expansive. The venue houses two screens (converted from old lecture theatres) with a combined capacity of roughly 300. Like many other cinemas on the list, you can go there to watch new releases alongside old classics and forgotten deep cuts. It also runs seasons throughout the year with themes like ‘Walled Cities’, the climate emergency and European directors.
Bristol’s Watershed (pictured above) was the next highest-ranked British theatre outside of London, in 28th place. Since launching in 1982, the cherished cultural hub has garnered a reputation for being ‘adventurous’ and ‘cosmopolitan’. It regularly hosts seasons highlighting lesser-known titles and emerging talent. This month, for example, it’s putting on ‘Listening to Britain’, which will feature a programme of contemporary documentaries platforming different communities and perspectives across the UK.
Other British gems on the list include Everyman in Bath for its luxe movie-watching experience, the volunteer-led Cromarty Cinema in Scotland for its gorgeous seaside setting and strong community ethos, and Magic Lantern Cinema in the small Welsh town of Tywyn for its quirky interior and exterior. See all the UK cinemas that made the list and where they ranked below.
Every British cinema in Time Out’s top 100 cinemas in the world 2026
3. BFI Southbank, London
8. Prince Charles Cinema, London
15. Picturehouse Central, London
20. Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London
22. Queen's Film Theatre, Belfast
24. Genesis Cinema, London
28. Watershed, Bristol
31. Curzon Soho
42. The Garden Cinema, London
50. Rio Cinema, London
57. Everyman Bath, Bath
59. Glasgow Film Theatre, Scotland
60. Close-Up Film Centre, London
66. Hyde Park Picturehouse, London
67. The Electric, London
73. Magic Lantern Cinema, Wales
77. Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh
79. Peckhamplex, London
83. The Castle Cinema, London
91. The Nickel Cinema, London
95. Cromarty Cinema, Scotland
98. The Kinema in the Woods, Lincoln
Read more about Time Out’s favourite cinemas in the world (and how to support them) here.
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