Your audience has shuffled inside and found their seats. The pre-screening chatter has hushed as the lights go down, and now you’re ready to go. There’s no doubt about it: a private hire cinema in London is the way to go is you want to take your event to the next level and make a real impact on your guests.

Whether you’re renting the space for a private screening, wowing your clients with a presentation, hosting an intimate Q&A session – or doing something completely different – there are plenty of private cinemas for hire in London to help you put on a memorable event.

‘But where are the best ones?’ you are quite rightly asking. We’ve rounded up ten of the coolest cinemas in London below.

London’s best cinema venues

Without further ado, here are some of the best, most unique and most versatile private hire cinema venues in London for you to browse and find what’s best for your needs.

1. Curzon Cinema Soho

With 13 cinemas across the UK – six of which are in London – Curzon have everything you need for a hassle-free screening. Top quality technical facilities and comfy seats are naturally in place, and there’s a dedicated events team to see you from the initial site visit through to the successful execution on the day. Curzon cinemas can seat anywhere between 28 and 307 guests, with full food and drink options available should you need them.

Capacity: 120 audience

Price: From £400 per hour

Closest station: Leicester Square

2. Barbican Cinema

This is one of the most legendary establishments in London and luckily they also have a cinema space available for hire. With expertise in hosting anything from film festivals and music events to private parties, the Barbican is the cinema hire for you. The space has a 280-seat capacity complete with a large stage, state-of-the-art projection equipment, and a great sound system. Added bonus? After the movie, you can stroll over to the bar for a drink.

Capacity: 280 audience

Price: Price on asking

Closest station: Barbican

3. Odeon Cinemas

Truly a giant of the cinema world – there are 121 Odeons around the UK, after all – these guys vow to bring the magic and excitement of the silver screen to your event. They have a number of sites throughout the city, and Odeon Luxe & Dine in Islington – with its first-class reclining seats, fresh food and cocktails – is a great choice for hire if you’re going all out. With an expert event management team in-house, Odeon has some of the best cinema hire London can offer.

Capacity: 796 audience

Price: Price on asking

Closest station: Leicester Square

4. The Ritzy

Screen One here at The Ritzy has been fully restored to look how it would have done 100 years ago, so naturally it’s a grand and historic place to catch a movie. It’s also perfectly suited to private hires, whether those be AGMs, parties, conferences or… wait for it… weddings. That’s right, The Ritzy is a fully licensed wedding venue. This much-loved Brixton cinema has five screens (ranging from 52 to 350 capacity) and also features a live music venue.

Capacity: 52–350 audience depending on screen

Price: Price on asking

Closest station: Brixton

5. Everyman

There are 10 Everyman cinemas in London, and each can be hired out privately seven days of the week. Event organisers are able to watch films old or new and play their own content, whether that be a slide-show or a presentation. Everyman can offer luxurious sofa seating and top-notch technical facilities, with the capacity to host everything from intimate screenings to children’s parties. If you’re a short film-maker wanting to see your work on the silver screen, Everyman can cater for that, too.

Capacity: 24 audience

Price: £1000 minimum spend

Closest station: Finsbury Park

6. Whirled Cinema

If you’re seeking a cool and cosy private hire cinema in London, we’d tip Whirled Cinema in Denmark Hill. With space for up to 60 guests in the cinema you can enjoy a screening under the railway arches. Exposed brick and a speakeasy style bar makes this venue a unique space to host your next event. It’s ideal if you’re looking to host a team presentation or film screening where you want to grab a couple of drinks before or after.

Capacity: 60 audience

Price: £220 per day

Closest station: Denmark Hill

7. Genesis

Genesis is another of London’s independent gems that you can hire out in Bethnal Green. From private screenings to premieres and festivals to conferences, the venue can host your event on one of their five big screens – the largest can seat 568, the smallest 40 – with microphones also on cue to introduce special guests and host panel debates.

Capacity: 40–566 audience depending on screen

Price: Price on asking

Closest station: Stepney Green

8. The London Edition

So it’s not a cinema per se, but the slick basement of the London Edition can be decked out to host film screenings for up to 70 people. With a striking lighting design from Patrick Woodruff and state-of-the-art audio and visual features, it’s a cracking option for a private hire event in Soho. There’s also a fully equipped DJ system – so no need to book somewhere else for the after-party – and 24-hour multilingual secretarial staff; handy if you’ve got visitors from overseas.

Capacity: 70 audience

Price: £5000 per day

Closest station: Tottenham Court Road

9. Phoenix

Hoping to hire a cinema in London for a child’s birthday party? Step forward Phoenix: the much-loved and historic building that originally opened in 1912 as The East Finchley Picturedrome. Open to up to 50 guests for an all-in price of £390, mum and dad can expect exclusive use of the cinema, your choice of DVD, a duty manager, party music and a birthday message on the big screen.

Capacity: Capacity upon asking

Price: Price upon asking

Closest station: East Finchley

10. Sadler’s Wells

A name synonymous with world-class dance performance, Sadler’s Wells is also a pretty sweet place to host a film screening in London. With three contemporary theatres ranging from 180 in capacity right up to 1,500, Sadler’s Wells boast a dedicated team for your event management as well as an in-house catering team.

Capacity: 1000 audience

Price: £12300 per day

Closest station: Angel