CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED
Cinemas in London
Central London does the big-screen spectacle well. BFI IMAX has a giant screen and proper sound for blockbusters right on the South Bank, Prince Charles Cinema near Leicester Square lets babies on laps in free at U, PG and 12A screenings, and BFI Southbank gives you free run of its film archive alongside four screens by the Thames. For value, Peckhamplex charges £7.59 across the board and runs weekly screenings built for parents with babies or autistic kids, while Genesis Cinema out east starts from £4.99 and has a cheap Parent and Baby show. If you want somewhere calmer with a toddler, Everyman Canary Wharf has sofa seats and baby and toddler screenings where nobody minds a meltdown. Crouch End Picturehouse suits a slower morning with its café-bar and step-free access, and it welcomes dogs too. Keep the Palace Theatre in mind for older kids: it's a West End show from £25, but under-15s need an adult and under-5s aren't admitted at all.
8 places 1 upcoming event From £4.99
What's on: cinemas
Places for cinemas
BFI IMAX
London
A giant screen and a proper sound system for blockbusters that feel bigger than life, right on the South Bank.
BFI Southbank
London
Free access to a huge film archive at the Mediatheque, plus four cinema screens under one roof by the Thames.
CaféGift shopRestaurant
Crouch End Picturehouse
London
A local independent cinema in Crouch End with a proper café-bar, dog friendly and step-free throughout.
Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyRestaurant+2 more
Everyman Canary Wharf
London · ages 0-18
Sofa seats, food brought to you, and baby and toddler screenings where nobody minds if your one-year-old kicks off.
Allergy awareRestaurantSensory friendlyWheelchair accessible
from £4.99Genesis Cinema
London
An old-school East End cinema with a giant main screen and sofa-seated studios, plus a cheap-as-chips Parent and Baby show.
CaféCard onlyGift shopFood on site+4 more
from £25Palace Theatre
London · ages 8+
A West End theatre show for £25 a ticket, though under-15s need an adult with them and under-5s can't come in at all.
Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféToilets+1 more
from £7.59Peckhamplex
London · ages 0+
Every ticket is £7.59, and there are weekly screenings built for parents with babies or autistic kids.
ToiletsWheelchair accessible
from £8Prince Charles Cinema
London
A classic Leicester Square cinema where babies on laps go free at U, PG and 12A screenings, but 15s and 18s are off limits for little ones.
Accessible toiletBaby changeCard onlyFood on site+2 more
Good to know: cinemas in London
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £4.99 at Genesis Cinema. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
More ways to plan a day out
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