The BIG London Cinema List 2026: Film festivals, seasons, Q&As and rep screenings [Updated!]

Shortlist hand-picks the major movie events, cult venues, outdoor screenings and hidden gems coming up this year for our London film fan calendar. Freshly updated for Summer 2026

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The Prince Charles Cinema flanked by upcoming movie posters
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London is one of the greatest cities in the world to be a film fan. We may have seen one or two Odeons in the capital close down over the past few years (RIP Surrey Quays) and institutions like the Prince Charles Cinema and Curzon Mayfair continue to do battle with evil landlords but there’s new cinemas to get excited about too: from the art-deco interiors of The Garden by Holborn to The Nickel grindhouse, which started out as a pop-up before finding a permanent spot in Farringdon. Plus there’s always the time-warp of South London’s Peckhamplex to provide some continuity or the heritage of Hackney’s Rio cinema - celebrating its 50th Anniversary of being community-run while, fun fact, it’s the UK’s longest running cinema, having screened films there since 1909.

Any cinephile worth their popcorn salt should have not only a favourite London cinema or two but a favourite screen — even better a specific row and seat number. If you’re looking to add some depth to your weekly outings to see the latest auteur efforts, franchise flicks and independent films, you’ll want to start digging into film seasons at the BFI Southbank, double features and marathons at the PCC and add director Q&As at a Curzon, Everyman or Picturehouse into the mix. Support your indie and arthouse cinemas while they still exist with Shortlist’s BIG London Cinema List for 2026…

UPDATE: We’ve added quite a few more dates to May and June, with a comedy film fest, a couple of screwball-inspired drag nights and a skateboarding season at the BFI. The film calendar is filling up with a screening, festival or Q&A pretty much every night if you’re a completist like that. Plus, when it comes to booking ahead, there are cinematic things to look forward to in July and beyond - and not just “DunesDay” - with the first dates and line-ups appearing for Rooftop Cinema Club, Everyman on The Canal and Summer Screens.

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Key:

  • (*) : Season
  • /^\ : Festival
  • {?} : Q&A
  • >< : Live Score
  • [] : Quiz

May

So many intriguing London film fests to choose from in May including a Super 8 selection at BFI IMAX, queer cinema at the Barbican and a trio of a short film festival, a folk music film festival and an Asian cinema festival at The Garden. The BFI’s major season is Brazil On Film, featuring works from filmmakers Walter Salles, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Karim Aïnouz and honouring Héctor Babenco, the director of Pixote and Kiss of the Spider-Woman. Hidden gems include a textile repair cafe to complement the Barbican’s season exploring craft and community as well as a mystery film from Little White Lies at the Rio cinema in Hackney. Round off the month with an action and adventure-themed Film Music Gala courtesy of the Royal Philharmonic.

Notable releases:
Notable releases: The ground-breaking The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1st), James Cameron’s Billie Eilish concert film Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (8th May), Ben Wheatley’s Normal (May 15th) and László Nemes’ Orphan (May 15th). The master Steven Soderbergh is back with The Christophers (May 15th) and don’t miss Jon Favreau’s new Star War The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22nd). Then there’s Kane Parsons’ much hyped YouTube horror Backrooms (May 29th) and Daniel Roher’s Tuner (May 29th).

Köln 75 International trailer - YouTube Köln 75 International trailer - YouTube
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STOLEN LIVES Trailer - YouTube STOLEN LIVES Trailer - YouTube
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JUNE

The BFI’s major summer film season is dedicated to the immortal Marilyn Monroe, whose comedic chops should not be slept on. Through June and July, you can catch classics in a programme that includes her final film, John Huston’s The Misfits (1961). Don’t miss Rich Mix’s Resistance and Revolution season either, which ends on June 24th - preparation inspiration - not to mention anniversary screenings of All The President’s Men and Labyrinth. Kew Gardens has a mid-month pop-up weekend of scenic outdoor screenings via the touring Adventure Cinema.

Notable releases: It’s summer blockbuster season with Masters of the Universe (June 5th), Steven Spielberg’s next alien-inclined crowd-pleaser Disclosure Day (June 12th), the tablet-hating Toy Story 5 (June 19th), Jackass: Best and Last (June 26th) and Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl (June 26th).

In indie counter-programming, check out the Charli XCX-starring Erupcja (June 5th) from director Pete Ohs and playwright Jeremy O. Harris and Sophy Romvari‘s debut Blue Heron (June 26th), which is a bit of a critical darling. Plus there’s Ido Fluk’s Keith Jarrett concert retellling Köln 75 (June 5th) and the twisty, Jodie Foster-starring French mystery A Private Life (June 26th).

Disclosure Day | Official Trailer - YouTube Disclosure Day | Official Trailer - YouTube
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FLEE - Official Trailer - YouTube FLEE - Official Trailer - YouTube
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JULY

Time to catch some rays at the drive-in or more accurately, the prosecco and blanket-in. We’ve now got dates and line-ups for Rooftop Cinema Club (Peckham and Stratford), Everyman On The Canal (King’s Cross) and Vauxhall Summer Screens at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

Notable releases: Air-con friendly movies include Minions and Monsters (July 1st), shark thriller Shiver (July 3rd), the live-action Moana remake (July 10th), Evil Dead Burn (July 10th) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31st). Anime A New Dawn drops mid-month (July 10th) as does Cut Off, Jonah Hill’s comedy with Kristen Wiig (July 17th). But, listen, July is all about Christopher Nolan’s classics epic The Odyssey (July 17th). Elsewhere, we’re stoked for Olivia Wilde’s A24 sex comedy The Invite (July 3rd) and British director Imran Perretta’s monochrome debut film Ish (July 31st).

The Invite | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube The Invite | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube
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The Odyssey | Official Trailer - YouTube The Odyssey | Official Trailer - YouTube
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AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER

London will give us plenty more chances to see classic movies outdoors through to the end of August. Then things switch up for September with serious seasons at the Barbican and even a hint of Halloween with Frankenstein Unchained! at The Cinema Museum.

Notable releases: Late summer is quite fun this year auteurs-wise with David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street (August 14th), Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars (August 28th) and Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (August 21st). Will Gluck’s high-concept romcom One Night Only could be hot (28th August).

September gets us Jonatan Etzler’s Bad Apples with Saoirse Ronan (September 11th) and Weapons-director Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil remake (September 18th). Oh and we couldn’t forget Aardman’s Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (September 18th).

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA | Official Teaser | In Theaters August 7 - YouTube TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA | Official Teaser | In Theaters August 7 - YouTube
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OCTOBER TO DECEMBER

October is all about the BFI’s London Film Festival: we know the dates but little else at this point in the year. In terms of what else you can look forward to - and book - for this winter, there’s a few festive cinema concerts, including Home Alone, already nailed in at the Royal Albert Hall. Plus some indie cinemas have locked in their Halloween programming already — the PCC’s mini 1920s season looks suitably spoo00ooky.

Notable releases:
Autumn means serious movie season again. We’re talking Alejandro González Iñárritu's Digger with Tom Cruise (October 2nd) and Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook sequel The Social Reckoning (October 9th). Franchise-wise, we’re getting DC’s Clayface (October 23rd), Focker-in-Law (November 25th) and Disney’s original animation Hexed (November 27th).

Whalefall featuring Austin Abrams (October 16th) looks like a why-the-hell-not and Taika Waitit’s Ishiguro adaptation Klara and The Sun (October 23rd) could go either way. Martin McDonough is back with Wild Horse Nine (November 6th). Then it’s the cinematic event of the second half the year: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday duking it out on December 18th. Expect a whole slate of prestige and arthouse cinema to be announced later in the year for October through December.

Dune: Part Three | Official Teaser Trailer - YouTube Dune: Part Three | Official Teaser Trailer - YouTube
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What you missed earlier this year...

April

There’s an embarrassment of riches in London’s film programming this April, from Q&As with directors Mark Jenkin, Shane Meadows, Sally Potter and Christian Petzold to Rob Reiner Day at the Prince Charles. Catch the LRB screening of a Frederick Wiseman doc, a silent film with live accompaniment at the Barbican, the launch of a book about Charlie Chaplin’s London at The Cinema Museum or dress up and do some karaoke for The Garden’s Jia Zhangke retrospective. Grindhouse cinema The Nickel is running Man Vs Beast and A Season in Hell seasons, the Barbican is focusing on Cold War Eastern Bloc cinema and the BFI programmers offer up weeks and weeks of boxing on film and the filmography of Peter Weir. Don’t miss Open City’s Documentary Festival at venues including Rich Mix and Close-Up cinema.

Notable releases:
An excellent month for indies with Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama from A24 (April 3rd), Lee Sang-il’s sumptuous Kabuki epic Kokuho (April 3rd), documentary D Is For Distance (April 3rd), Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother (April 10th), James McAvoy’s California Schemin’ (April 10th), Christian Petzold’s Miroirs No.3 (April 17th) and Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding with Josh O’Connor (April 17th). Plus, Mark Jenkin’s eerie fisherman time-travel tale Rose of Nevada (April 24th), Thea Gajic’s moving realist drama Surviving Earth (April 24th) and yes, don’t forget there’s also The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 1st).

KOKUHŌ - Official HD Trailer (2025) - Only In Cinemas - YouTube KOKUHŌ - Official HD Trailer (2025) - Only In Cinemas - YouTube
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Rose of Nevada | UK Trailer | In cinemas now | BFI - YouTube Rose of Nevada | UK Trailer | In cinemas now | BFI - YouTube
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SURVIVING EARTH | OFFICIAL TRAILER | IN CINEMAS APRIL 24th - YouTube SURVIVING EARTH | OFFICIAL TRAILER | IN CINEMAS APRIL 24th - YouTube
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Sophie Charara
Sophie Charara
Contributor

Sophie Charara is a freelance tech and culture journalist. Sophie is a former associate editor of WIRED, and former associate editor at Wareable and The Ambient.

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