Big screen, big price as cinema tickets rise by 32%

GOING to the cinema is no longer a cheap date for couples, according to a survey that found admission prices have risen up to 32% in just three years.

The Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) carried out the poll of cinemas across the country and found hikes of up to €1.65 and prices as high as €9.65 a seat.

The consumer watchdog also found cinemas were charging as much as 65 cent extra per ticket booked on the internet.

With online booking fees, a family of two adults and two children could end up paying €30.70 per film — even before buying drinks, sweets and popcorn.

“Despite having Europe’s highest cinema attendance levels, going to the cinema has long ceased to be a cheap night out or even a cheap date in Ireland,” CAI chief executive Dermott Jewell said.

“In many venues, cinema goers will get little change from €15 after buying a ticket, medium popcorn and a soft drink.”

The research shows that men, women and children see around 4.5 movies per year at the cinema in Ireland, compared to the British average of 2.8 films. Provisional figures for 2005 show we made 16.4 million visits to the cinema — around five million more trips than a decade ago.

Despite the increasing number of people attending the cinema, the CAI compared 2006 prices with those in 2003 and found that prices had risen between 50c and €1.65 with Dublin cinema-goers the hardest-hit.

Among the priciest was Liffey Valley’s Vue Cinema where prices have rocketed between 21% and 28% to stand at €9.65 for adult evening seats, €7.60 for matinees and €6.55 for children.

Film-lovers outside the capital get a better deal with matinee and child seats all at €5.50 at Cork’s Gate Multiplex and all at €5 at the city’s Reel Picture in Blackpool. The regular adult rate at both these venues is €8.

In Galway, adults going to a late show at the Omniplex cinema can expect to pay around €8, up from €7.50 three years ago while similar seats in Limerick and Waterford cost €9 and €8 respectively.

The CAI survey also revealed wide variations in online booking fees with Dublin’s UCI in Coolock charging 65c per ticket but Cork’s Gate cinema charging a one-off fee of 50c for up to 10 tickets.

A family of four would end up paying €2.60 for booking tickets costing €27, making an overall online bill of €29.60 at Coolock. In Cork the bill would be €22.50.

The survey also showed how children’s ticket prices are no longer half the adult price, but, instead, are closer to the adult matinee prices.

At Dublin’s Movies@Dundrum, children pay €6 but adults at matinees pay €7, while Galway’s Omniplex charges are €5 and €6 respectively.

The CAI said it was concerned about two-tier pricing now in place in certain cinemas where film buffs can pay extra to get a larger seat at the back of the auditorium.

Mr Jewell said certain cinemas were also failing to display these additional prices and should stick to the spirit of consumer law by fully informing film goers.

The CAI conceded that higher cinema prices were justified by better facilities, but warned of higher prices in future as new technology was brought in.

“There’s a strong possibility that prices will rise again once new digital projection equipment is rolled out this year,” Mr Jewell said.

Cinema facts

* Cinema attendances in Ireland are among the highest in Europe and, at the last count, were only behind those in Iceland.

* Consumers’ Association of Ireland research shows that men, women and children watch around 4.5 movies per year at the cinema, compared to the British average of 2.8.

* Provisional figures for 2005 show we made 16.4 million visits the cinema — around five million more trips than we made a decade ago.