As the hotly anticipated Barbie movie hits British movie screens on Friday 21st July, and nostalgia sweeps the nation, new data reveals that consumers could be spending 119% more based on where in the UK they watch the film.
The UK’s most trusted savings site, VoucherCodes.co.uk, analysed opening day ticket prices from three leading cinema chains: Cineworld, Odeon, and Vue, comparing prices at venues across the biggest cities in Britain.
The data shows that Vue cinemas offer the best value for money, with the average price for both an adult and child ticket totalling £5.96 each across their UK cinema venues. A four-person family – made up of two children and two adults – could pay an average of £23.84 on opening day. This comes in 85% cheaper than other competitors reviewed, with both Cineworld and Odeon totalling £44.18 each for a family of four.
Those without a local Vue cinema can expect to pay a significantly higher entry fee, as the data shows a huge disparity in average ticket prices across the three leading chains. Fans opting to watch the film from a Cineworld or Odeon venue could end up paying double, or close to, the price of an average adult ticket compared to Vue’s costs: £11.10 (+86%) and £13.03 (+119%) respectively.
Average price of a Barbie cinema ticket on opening day:
| Cinema Chain | Average cost of adult ticket | Average cost of child ticket | Average cost of tickets for two adults and two children |
| Vue | £5.96 | £5.96 | £23.84 |
| Cineworld | £11.10 | £10.99 | £44.18 |
| Odeon | £13.03 | £9.06 | £44.18 |
| Average across all cinema retailers | £10.37 | £9.46 | £39.66 |
The research also shows that the location of the cinema within the UK also has a large impact on the cost of a Barbie ticket.
Cinema goers based in Swansea are in luck as they can secure the cheapest seats in the UK, with average ticket prices costing just £6.07 for an adult ticket on opening day. The South Wales city also offers the best value for money on children’s tickets, at £4.96. Following closely behind for adults and children was York, at a cost of £6.71 each.
At the other end of the scale, Londoners of all ages could pay up to 118% more, with the average adult ticket priced at £13.26, and £11.90 for kids. The second priciest location is Liverpool for adults (£12.62 average) and Brighton for a youth ticket (£10.87 average).
| Rank | City | Average adult ticket cost | Average child ticket cost | Total cost (adult and child) |
| 1st | Swansea | £6.07 | £4.96 | £11.03 |
| 2nd | York | £6.71 | £6.71 | £13.42 |
| 3rd | Cardiff | £6.91 | £6.87 | £13.78 |
| 4th | Bristol | £7.44 | £7.14 | £14.58 |
| 5th | Nottingham | £8.22 | £8.22 | £16.44 |
| 6th | Leeds | £9.03 | £7.60 | £16.63 |
| 7th | Edinburgh | £8.79 | £8.15 | £16.94 |
| 8th | Leicester | £10.56 | £7.56 | £18.12 |
| 9th | Oxford | £9.46 | £9.01 | £18.47 |
| 10th | Manchester | £10.00 | £8.65 | £18.65 |
| 11th | Belfast | £10.28 | £9.60 | £19.88 |
| 12th | Birmingham | £10.92 | £9.60 | £20.61 |
| 13th | Cambridge | £10.38 | £10.38 | £20.76 |
| 14th | Newcastle | £10.87 | £10.22 | £21.09 |
| 15th | Sheffield | £11.32 | £10.29 | £21.61 |
| 16th | Coventry | £11.57 | £10.22 | £21.79 |
| 17th | Glasgow | £11.23 | £10.62 | £21.85 |
| 18th | Brighton | £11.83 | £10.87 | £22.70 |
| 19th | Liverpool | £12.62 | £10.47 | £23.09 |
| 20th | London | £13.26 | £11.90 | £25.16 |
Looking at which individual outlets in each city are offering the cheapest seats in the UK, the Vue cinemas in Birmingham, Cardiff, Omni Centre (Edinburgh), Fort (Glasgow), Leicester, Sheffield, and Swansea offer tickets for just £4.09 per adult.
However, Barbie fans heading to Odeon cinemas at Broadway Plaza (Birmingham), Quay (Glasgow), Haymarket (London) and Swiss Cottage (London) should be prepared to cough up the cash, as they’re set to be charged £18 each – over three times the cost of the cheapest outlets available (340%).
Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “As the Barbie franchise takes its first steps into live action cinematics, it’s safe to say this film is already set to be the big hit of 2023. The release has generated a huge buzz already and cinema chains up and down the country are set to cash in on the film’s popularity.
“Although a trip to the cinema can be quite costly, taking the time to plan your visit and which chain you visit could have a big impact on your wallet. If you want to avoid paying over-the-top fees, it’s worth researching local cinema chains in and around your area or calculating if it may be cheaper to travel a little further. For further deals on your cinema snacks, tickets, and more, it’s worth checking out VoucherCodes.co.uk where all of the codes are hand tested and designed to save you that little bit extra.”