Early estimates from the European Audiovisual Observatory indicate that cinema attendance across wider Europe reached 841 million admissions in 2024, marking a 2% decline compared to the previous year. In the European Union, admissions were estimated at 640 million, reflecting a slight 3% decrease from 2023.
In line with this trend, box office revenues are estimated to have reached 6.6 billion euros (with 5.0 billion generated in the European Union alone).
With figures stabilizing near 2023 levels, cinema attendance appears to have settled at around 24% below pre-pandemic levels (2017–2019), suggesting that the post-pandemic rebound has run its course and that the market may have reached a new equilibrium.
In 2024, the European theatrical sector continued to feel the impact of strikes in the North American film industry, which disrupted production and delayed releases, weighing on box office results. At the same time, however, national productions saw remarkable success in several European markets, making up for the short fall of Hollywood titles.
Among the standout local films that reached the top of the charts in their national markets are Un p’tit truc en plus, the most successful film in France in 2024 with over 10 million admissions; Gundi: Legend of Love, the all-time highest-grossing film in Bulgaria; and Stormskärs Maja, the top-grossing film in Finland post-pandemic.
Growth rates varied significantly across Europe. Early estimates show that admissions ranged from a 20% decline in Cyprus to an 8% increase in Slovakia.
In terms of absolute numbers, France remained the leader in cinema attendance, with 181 million tickets sold, followed by the United Kingdom (127 million), Germany (90 million), and Italy (73 million).
Similar to 2023, Türkiye and France recorded the highest shares of national film admissions, at 57% and 44%, respectively. Other notable national market shares were recorded in Czechia (31%), Finland (31%), and Serbia (26%).
Although a full breakdown by film origin is still pending, early data suggests that Hollywood franchise films continued to dominate European box offices. Titles such as Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine were among the continent’s highest-grossing films.
On the European front, in addition to local breakout successes, the French title The Count of Monte Cristo stood out as a major hit across borders, drawing over 9 million admissions in France and more than 3 million export admissions across 54 markets.
Our next cinema figures will be released just before the Cannes Marché du Film in May 2025.
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