Cinema in Hampstead: The Everyman and its Competitors

The Everyman Cinema on Holly Bush Vale is one of those places that makes you remember why going to the cinema is better than staying at home. Sofa seating, blankets on request, food and drinks brought to your seat; the template that Everyman later rolled out nationally was invented here, in the narrow building that has housed a cinema since 1933.

The Hampstead Everyman in practice

Two small screens, no bad seats, a bar that is usefully open before and after the film, and a front-of-house team who are unusually good at their jobs. The sofas are genuinely comfortable; the table wine is above the shop-price cutoff that many multiplexes fall below. For a quiet Tuesday-night film, arrive fifteen minutes early, order at the bar, and settle in for a version of cinemagoing that the 1990s nearly extinguished.

Programming

The schedule is reliably strong. New releases run alongside classics, special events and occasional Q&A sessions with directors and cast. The weekday matinees are a small local secret; the auditoria are rarely more than half full and the ticket price drops by a few pounds. The annual members' preview season in November has become a fixture in the village calendar.

Membership economics

Members receive priority booking, complimentary tickets and meaningful discounts on food and drink. The annual fee pays for itself for anyone who goes more than four or five times a year — which is to say, most Hampstead regulars. Gift memberships have also become a reliably popular present in a neighbourhood where people are hard to buy for.

Competitors within easy reach

The Odeon Swiss Cottage is the nearest mainstream multiplex, five minutes south on the Jubilee line. It is a working, no-nonsense cinema with larger screens and standard seating; a decent option for blockbusters where the Everyman's smaller screens feel restrictive. The Kiln Theatre in Kilburn screens occasional film events in its main house, often paired with talks.

Further afield — arthouse and repertory

For serious film programming the Phoenix in East Finchley (the oldest continuously running cinema in the UK), the Curzon Camden and the Prince Charles in Leicester Square all remain the reference points. A Saturday at the Prince Charles — a double-bill of 1970s noir followed by a noodle supper in Chinatown — is a reliably good day. The BFI Southbank is thirty minutes door to door from Hampstead via the 24 bus and the Jubilee line.

Making a film evening of it

Hampstead's best cinema evenings pair a screening with a short walk and a meal. A Heath sunset, an Everyman film and a supper at the Holly Bush or one of the village restaurants is the standard formula — and it still works. For a fuller evening itinerary see our weekend itinerary and the broader events calendar.

## The Hampstead Everyman The Everyman on Holly Bush Vale is the village cinema — not a multiplex, not a big-format screen, but a three-screen boutique with sofas, wine, and food brought to your seat. Tickets are £20 to £24 depending on the time slot; membership (around £50 annually) reduces that to £15 and adds priority booking. Weekend evenings book out a week ahead; weekday matinees are reliably available. The Everyman programme leans toward arthouse new releases, classic revivals, and a strong documentary selection. Live broadcasts from the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House, and the Metropolitan Opera appear several times a year and are worth the premium ticket. The popcorn is unexceptional; the wine list is surprisingly considered. The main auditorium holds around 130 seats; Screen Two holds 70; Screen Three holds 50 and is the one to avoid if you are tall. Book Screen One for any major release; the sound and picture quality are noticeably better. ## The local alternatives The Curzon in Camden Town (20 minutes by 46 bus) is the closest proper arthouse cinema. Four screens, Curzon's consistently strong programme, tickets around £15. The Camden café-bar in the foyer is a destination in its own right. The Everyman in Belsize Park (separate branch, 15 minutes' walk from Hampstead tube) is the sister cinema. Slightly newer, slightly cheaper, smaller auditoriums. Worth going to if the Holly Bush Vale branch is booked out. The Odeon in Swiss Cottage (10 minutes' walk) is the nearest conventional multiplex. Four screens, mainstream releases, tickets around £12. Useful for blockbuster releases where the Everyman's arthouse focus doesn't schedule what you want to see. ## Screening clubs and festivals The Hampstead Arts Festival in June includes a small film strand at Burgh House — usually two or three repertory screenings with a specialist introduction. Tickets around £12; book through the Festival website. The Sunday Matinee Club at the Everyman (seasonal) shows classic films at 1pm most Sundays from October to April. Around £18 including a small glass of wine. The programme leans toward 1950s and 1960s British cinema. Kenwood Open-Air Cinema (one or two screenings a year on the Kenwood south lawn) is the summer highlight when it runs. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and warm clothes for when the sun goes down. Tickets £20 through English Heritage. ## Practical notes The Everyman's in-seat food service is reliable for drinks but inconsistent for hot food; order early if you want a pizza before the trailers finish. The seats reclining fully is the main luxury over a regular cinema; pair with a late-afternoon matinee and you will lose an afternoon pleasantly. Booking through the Everyman's own app saves the fees most third-party aggregators add. Member perks (priority booking, free guest tickets twice a year) pay back the £50 membership fee within about six visits.