Where to watch films in London this summer

Cinema remains a key part of London’s creative identity, with the capital home to a vast network of independent venues, repertory screens, and film festivals running throughout the year. From major events like the BFI London Film Festival to smaller curated seasons and niche showcases, the city offers a film culture that is both wide-ranging and distinctive. This summer, that culture extends beyond traditional screens, with Rooftop Cinema Club returning for its open-air season and 180 Studios hosting an ongoing celebration of music and film through its Sound & Vision programme. Other staples include the Barbican, where screenings are curated alongside its wider arts programme, the ICA, which platforms experimental work, and the plush surroundings of the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. Here is our guide to where to get your film fix in London this summer.

Barbican Cinema

Image courtesy of Barbican Centre

#FLODown: The Barbican is a linchpin of London’s cultural life, and its cinema is closely linked with the wider programme of exhibitions, music and theatre. Screenings are often curated with its wider arts programme in mind, creating thematic connections across disciplines. The venue hosts regular post-screening discussions with directors and creators, offering audiences insight into the films and their context. It also plays host to a variety of film festivals, including the London Soundtrack Festival, the Open City Documentary Festival, and seasons linked to short-form and emerging cinema, such as the London International Animation Festival, which celebrates the best in animated films. Each summer in August, the Barbican also presents a special Outdoor Cinema series in its Sculpture Court, where they show a mix of recent releases and mainly cult classics; full details of the Outdoor Cinema will be announced soon.

Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City of London EC2Y 8DS. barbican.org.uk

ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts)

Image courtesy of Institute of Contemporary Arts

#FLODown: For adventurous and avant‑garde film‑goers, the ICA on The Mall champions underrepresented narrative films, documentary practices and experimental moving‑image work that push beyond commercial norms. Since opening its dedicated cinema in the late 1960s, the ICA has made space for work that sits between cinema and contemporary art. Similar to the Barbican, its screenings are on occasions curated with its wider arts programme in mind, giving space to explore artists’ practice through a curated selection of films, encouraging audiences to think about film as a vital part of cultural discourse. The ICA also hosts more niche festivals and themed seasons that bring boundary‑pushing cinema to London, including screenings connected with the London Short Film Festival, programmes that highlight independent world cinema and site‑specific or experimental work, and special events such as the Armenian Film Festival London. The venue also complements selected screenings with discussions and talks that explore the ideas behind the work.

Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5AH. ica.art

Rich Mix

Image courtesy of Rich Mix

#FLODown: At the beating heart of Shoreditch’s creative quarter, Rich Mix has become one of London’s most spirited independent cinema spaces. Set within a former industrial building that still hints at its past, the venue has three screening rooms with a decent programme of cultural events, bars, theatre, and live music. Over the years, Rich Mix has earned a reputation for programming that feels fearless in its variety, from crowd-pleasing favourites to independent, international, and experimental films that might be overlooked elsewhere. Its atmosphere is warm, cool, unpretentious, reflecting the artistic energy of its neighbourhood.

Location: Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA. richmix.org.uk

The Prince Charles Cinema

Image courtesy of Prince Charles Cinema

#FLODown: Tucked just behind Leicester Square, the Prince Charles Cinema is London’s most beloved venue for cult and repertory film. Originally a theatre in the early 1960s, it found its true calling decades later as a cinema with a unique approach to programming. Its schedule is fantastically unpredictable, one night a Hollywood classic, the next a midnight cult screening, a sing-along, or an all-night marathon, while also making space for selected new releases. Over the years, it has built a fiercely loyal following; audiences here are, on occasion, part of the experience, whether quoting along, dressing up, or simply sharing in the atmosphere during special screenings. It is, in every sense, cinema as a social ritual rather than a passive watch.

Location: 7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY. princecharlescinema.com

The Lexi Cinema

Image courtesy of The Lexi Cinema

#FLODown: In Kensal Rise, The Lexi Cinema operates not just as an independent film venue but as a community‑minded social enterprise. Volunteer‑run and with profits directed to charitable causes, The Lexi screens a mix of independent films, documentaries and occasional alternative content such as opera and theatre on screen. Its setting and ethos give it a neighbourly feel, a place where film‑going feels personal and rooted in community rather than commerce. It is a reminder of cinema at its best and of the beauty of its power to bring people together.

Location: The Lexi Cinema, 194b Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, London NW10 3JU. thelexicinema.co.uk

BFI Southbank

Image courtesy of BFI

#FLODown: BFI Southbank on the South Bank is London’s home for serious film-lovers. Its four screens show everything from restored classics and international cinema to the latest festival favourites and carefully curated seasons. The venue also hosts screenings connected to major events like BFI Flare and the London Film Festival, bringing premieres and rare works to London audiences. Beyond the films, its café and riverside bar make it a place to linger, talk, and soak up the shared enthusiasm of fellow cinephiles!

Location: Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT. bfi.org.uk

Electric Cinema Portobello

Image courtesy of Electric Cinema Portobello

#FLODown: The Electric Cinema on Portobello Road is known for its incredibly cosy seating, leather armchairs, two-person sofas, and even front-row beds that make you feel right at home while watching a film. Housed in a historic 1910 building, it is one of London’s few remaining boutique cinemas. The programme includes new releases, classic films, and occasional themed screenings, offering both familiar favourites and something a little different. Drinks and snacks can be delivered to your seat from the fully licensed bar, allowing you to settle in, you might not want to leave!

Location: 191 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2ED. electriccinema.co.uk

Summer 2026

180 Studios: Sound & Vision

Underground Cinema. Image credit 180 Studios

#FLODown: Sound & Vision at 180 Studios is a week‑by‑week celebration of music on film, featuring legendary live performances, iconic documentaries and cult classics. This season, part of 180 Studios’ Underground Cinema series, follows the BLKNWS theatrical residency and continues to highlight music’s role in storytelling. The programme highlights include Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande, chronicling the UK’s influential jazz‑funk band; Finding Fela, exploring Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti; Fred Again…’s intimate live set Secret Life at the Coliseum; and Keyboard Fantasies, the story of trans musician Beverly Glenn‑Copeland. Also featured are Paris Is Burning, the cult classic on 1980s New York ballroom culture; Bowie: The Final Act, detailing David Bowie’s last creative decade; Sisters with Transistors, celebrating female electronic music pioneers; and Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, an intimate portrait of the legendary Japanese composer. Complementing the screenings is a rotating exhibition of seminal music videos by artists including Jamie xx, Beyoncé, FKA Twigs, Aphex Twin, Kendrick Lamar, Björk and Travis Scott.

Date: 10 April – 4 June 2026. Location: 180 Studios, 180 Strand, Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 1EA. 180studios.com

Rooftop Cinema Club

Image courtesy of Rooftop Cinema Club

#FLODown: Rooftop Cinema Club returns for its 15th year with a reimagined 2026 season, offering cinema under the open sky at Peckham’s Bussey Building and Roof East, Stratford. Highlights include the latest Oscar-winners Sinners and One Battle After Another, cult classics such as Pretty Woman, Pulp Fiction and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and new monthly programmes including Arthouse Thursdays and TV Tuesdays, featuring binge-watch sessions like Gossip Girl. Special events this May include a once-in-a-Blue-Moon screening of Interstellar at Peckham, intimate Sofar Sounds live performances, and a Hawaiian-themed family summer party with Lilo & Stitch. Guests can enjoy a wide selection of food and drinks, from cocktails and pizza at Peckham to burgers and Turkish pide at Stratford, all served directly to seats for a complete rooftop cinema experience.

Date: Peckham: from 30th April; Roof East, Stratford: from 7th May 2026. Location: Bussey Building, Peckham, London SE15 4ST; Roof East, Stratford, London E15 1BN. Price: from £14 adults, £8 children; early bird discount 20% off with code ONIT20 until 3rd May rooftopcinemaclub.com