I go to the cinema every week – the best deals for cheap tickets

Going to the cinema is genuinely one of my favourite pastimes ever. Especially in the winter, when it’s dark, cold, and there’s not much else to do, you really can’t beat the cosiness of going to watch a film with your favourite snacks. 

It’s just as fun going by yourself as going with a friend, sharing your thoughts about the film on the way home afterwards. But in recent years, the price of a cinema ticket has skyrocketed. At certain Glasgow cinemas, Saturday tickets can cost you the best part of £20, which is crazy money.

As a frequent cinemagoer, I simply can’t afford to keep up with all the new releases while paying full price for my tickets. And I don’t mean you should illegally download them either – the atmosphere of a cinema is just unbeatable, and it keeps me off my phone too, which is always a plus.

I recently realised that not a lot of people know about the massive array of cinema ticket deals that are available, and not just during the week.

So I’ve decided to put together a list of the best deals that you can use if you want to see more of the newest releases but don’t fancy forking out loads of money each time.

£3 weekend tickets with Three

This was a deal that I came across way too late, having recently switched mobile phone providers. But one of the perks of being with Three is that you get Cineworld or Picturehouse tickets for £3 – plus a £1 booking fee – on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, which is an amazing saving compared to the normal prices.

Search for the perk on the Three Plus app, then copy and paste the code when you’re paying for your ticket online.

2-4-1 tickets with Meerkat Movies 

This is a classic one, but if you need a reminder, you can get two cinema tickets for the price of one on any Tuesday or Wednesday if you’ve bought any qualifying insurance from Compare the Market.

Even something as little as travel insurance – which I currently pay just £10 annually for – entitles you to a full year of cinema savings. Again, there’s a weekly code you can use either online or when booking tickets in person, after you’ve signed in to your Meerkat Rewards app.

Two tickets for £10 with Amazon Prime 

If you’ve got Amazon Prime, you can get a code for two Odeon tickets for £10, or two Odeon Luxe recliner tickets for £15, once a month. This can be redeemed for any 2D screening from Monday to Thursday – the perfect weeknight activity.

Head to the Odeon page on Prime and copy the offer code, then pick your film of choice on the Odeon site and redeem the code at checkout.

Two free tickets a month with Sky Cinema 

If you’re a Sky Cinema subscriber, you can claim two free Vue tickets each month via the MySky app. The tickets are valid for any 2D movie showing Sunday to Thursday at any Vue cinema.

£4.99 Monday tickets at Showcase

This is fairly new to me, but if you’ve got a Showcase cinema near you, you can sign up to their Insider programme free of charge. One of the perks is that you can purchase tickets for just £4.99 on Mondays, excluding bank holidays.

Even if you aren’t an Insider member, Monday tickets are still just £7.99, which is a lot more affordable than some other cinemas.

Free weekly ticket with MUBI Go 

This one is a bit more rogue, but if you love independent cinema, a MUBI Go subscription should be on your radar. The streaming platform has thousands of unique films that you’d maybe not come across on the likes of Netflix and Prime.

If you pay for the Go subscription, which is £18.99 a month, you also get a free ticket each week for a critically acclaimed film at your chosen independent cinema. It’s a great way to broaden your horizons and discover new films or genres that you wouldn’t usually go for.