Picturehouse Central: Two of the Three Memberships Do Not Work Here

Two of Picturehouse’s three memberships do not work at Picturehouse Central. The flagship is excluded from both.

Membership Light, £6.99 a month or £69.90 a year: valid Monday to Thursday, excluding bank holidays and Picturehouse Central.

Membership Classic, £9.99 a month or £99.90 a year: valid anytime, excluding Picturehouse Central.

Membership West End, £15.99 a month or £159.90 a year: valid anytime at any cinema, including Picturehouse Central, with exclusive access to the Members’ Bar.

So the building on Shaftesbury Avenue, the one most people mean when they say Picturehouse, costs more than twice as much to be a member of as the rest of the chain. Buy Classic because it says “valid anytime” and you still cannot use it here.

The memberships changed on 29 September 2026, days before this was checked, and a separate Legacy scheme covers anyone who subscribed before that date. If you have an older membership, the rules above are not yours.

One detail that softens it: annual prices are 12 months for the price of 10, as a single payment. West End at £159.90 is £13.33 a month against £15.99.

You can refund your own ticket, up to two hours before

This is the thing that genuinely separates Picturehouse from its rivals, and nobody mentions it.

“You can access the booking via the link in your email confirmation. From there you can cancel your own booking and refund the cost of the tickets, as long as it’s more than 2 hours before the film.”

No phone call, no form, no staff discretion. It also works in the Picturehouse app.

Compare that with the rest of London. Curzon: “non-refundable and non-exchangeable”. Everyman: “all ticket bookings are non-refundable”, with amendments only at 24 hours notice and subject to availability.

The terms: money back to the original card in 3 to 5 working days, Member Free tickets returned to the membership account, and booking fees are not refunded. Refunds can also be done at the box office or on the Refund Line, 0207 018 3629, 10am to 6pm, again at least two hours before.

They cannot do it by email, on the grounds that they cannot guarantee replying inside the two hour window, which is unusually honest.

The booking fee is per ticket, which changes the group maths

“Any non-member tickets purchased online come with an £1 per ticket booking fee.”

Per ticket, not per transaction. That is the opposite of its competitors and it flips the arithmetic for a group.

Six people at Picturehouse: £6 in fees.

Six people at Everyman: £2.50, because it is per transaction.

Six people at Curzon: £2, same reason.

For one or two tickets Picturehouse is the cheapest of the three. For a group it is the dearest. Members pay nothing either way.

£5.99 if you are unemployed, Monday to Thursday

A concession almost nobody knows exists, and it is not on the ticket page.

“If you are unemployed you can purchase a ticket for £5.99, Monday to Thursday, available in person at the cinema box office. Proof of unemployment or Jobseekers status is required.”

Box office only, so it cannot be booked online, and you need the paperwork with you. At £5.99 against central London prices it is among the cheapest ways into a new release in the West End.

Carers go free. Picturehouse describes it as a reasonable adjustment: if you need a carer with you, the carer is admitted at no charge, arranged at the box office or on the Accessibility line, 0207 294 7908, 10am to 6pm. Proof of eligibility may be asked for.

The easier route: Picturehouse works with the CEA card scheme, which lets eligible customers claim carer tickets online and in the app without further checks. Enter the CEA card number under the Voucher or CEA Card ticketing option.

A student ticket does not require being a student

Two definitions worth having straight, because they overlap oddly.

“A child ticket is for anyone under the age of 15.”

“A student ticket is for someone 15-17 or in higher education.”

So a 15, 16 or 17 year old gets the student rate on age alone, with no enrolment anywhere. Bring student ID if you are claiming it as a student in higher education.

That 15 threshold is higher than most chains, where a child ticket usually stops at 12 or 13.

Fifteen to twenty minutes of trailers, and they want you on time

“The length of our ads and trailers vary, but are usually 15 to 20 minutes. We recommend arriving for the advertised start time to avoid missing any on the film.”

That is the shortest standard reel of the three London chains: Everyman runs up to 30 minutes, Curzon about 20.

Screen Arts events have reduced or no pre-show adverts and introductions.

If you are late: “We do try to allow customers to enter the screening up to 20 minutes after the stated start time, at the staff’s discretion.” A softer version of the Prince Charles and its flat 25 minute bar, but discretionary rather than guaranteed.

The box office opens at least 15 minutes before the first film of the day.

The alcohol rules at Central are licence conditions, not house style

Three separate rules operate in three different rooms, and they catch people out after a late film.

In the restaurant, bar and Members’ Bar you need a valid ticket to buy and consume alcohol after 9pm.

In the cafe you can only buy and consume alcohol if you are also buying food.

No one under 18 is permitted in the Members’ Bar after 5pm, in line with the premises licence.

So a 9.30pm drink in the bar without a cinema ticket is not possible, and that is the venue’s licence rather than a policy they can bend.

The rooms and their hours

Box office: 15 minutes before the first film.

Downstairs Cafe: from 10am Monday to Saturday, midday Sunday.

First Floor Restaurant and Bar: midday to 9pm, and to 11pm Friday and Saturday. Last drink orders 30 minutes before close. Last food orders 7.45pm Sunday to Thursday, 8.45pm Friday and Saturday.

Members’ Bar and Roof Terrace: midday to 9pm, exclusively for Picturehouse Central Members.

Note the food cut-off. A film finishing at 8pm leaves you fifteen minutes to order dinner on a Monday, which is the single most useful line on this page if you were planning to eat afterwards.

Checked on 6 October 2026, the venue has published a run of London Film Festival closures between 5 and 18 October 2026: the Members’ Bar is closed to the public until 5pm each day throughout, the restaurant is closed 4pm to 7.30pm from 8 to 14 October, closed from 7.30pm on 11 October, and closed until 7pm on 15 October with the Members’ Bar shut from 5pm that day.

It was the Trocadero

Opened in 1896 by the J. Lyons Company, the Trocadero became one of the most exclusive restaurants in Europe, fashionable through the 1920s and 1930s, out of favour by the 1950s and then in long decline.

Picturehouse refurbished the interior and the façade with the architects Panter Hudspith. So the restaurant upstairs is not a cinema’s attempt at a restaurant; it is the surviving function of the original building.

Corner of Great Windmill Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7DH. Piccadilly Circus.

What the membership actually gives you

On the scheme that began 29 September 2026:

One Member Free ticket a month, rolling over monthly up to 12 a year, usable for up to 12 months from issue or until the subscription ends. Premium-priced events excluded.

£3 off tickets for yourself and up to three guests, per screening. Over-60s and students get £3 off the concession price.

10 per cent off food and drink. On Membership Light this works anytime, even though the ticket benefits are Monday to Thursday only.

Free admission to weekly Discover films, with up to three guests at members’ prices, subject to availability.

Run the £3 against the fee: a member saves £3 plus £1 of booking fee per ticket, so four tickets saves £16 a visit. Classic at £99.90 a year pays back in seven group visits, and West End at £159.90 in ten.

How to plan it

Want to use a membership at Picturehouse Central: it has to be West End, £15.99 a month or £159.90 a year. Light and Classic are both excluded.

Annual beats monthly at every tier: 12 months for the price of 10.

Changed your mind: refund it yourself through the confirmation email or the app, more than two hours before.

Booking for a group: the £1 fee is per ticket here, unlike Everyman and Curzon.

Unemployed: £5.99 Monday to Thursday, at the box office with proof.

Eating after the film: last food orders 7.45pm Sunday to Thursday.

Drinking after 9pm: bring a cinema ticket. It is a licence condition.

Trailers run 15 to 20 minutes, and late arrivals are let in up to 20 minutes at staff discretion.

Picturehouse Central

Address

Corner of Great Windmill Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7DH

Nearest

Piccadilly Circus

Hours

Box office from 15 minutes before the first film. Downstairs Cafe from 10am Monday to Saturday and midday Sunday. First Floor Restaurant and Bar midday to 9pm, to 11pm Friday and Saturday, last food 7.45pm Sunday to Thursday and 8.45pm Friday and Saturday. Members Bar and Roof Terrace midday to 9pm

Booking

Online, in the app or at the box office. Tickets can be cancelled and refunded by the customer up to two hours before the film through the confirmation email link or the app

Price

1 pound per ticket booking fee online for non-members. Membership Light 6.99 a month, Classic 9.99, West End 15.99, with annual at 12 months for the price of 10. Unemployed tickets 5.99 Monday to Thursday at the box office with proof

Standing

The former Trocadero, opened in 1896 by J. Lyons, refurbished by Picturehouse with Panter Hudspith, with a cafe, a first floor restaurant and bar, and a Members Bar and roof terrace

How to get in

Membership Light and Membership Classic are both explicitly excluded from this venue, so only the West End tier at 15.99 a month works here. The booking fee is 1 pound per ticket rather than per transaction, which makes it the dearest of the London chains for a group. A valid cinema ticket is required to buy alcohol in the restaurant, bar or Members Bar after 9pm, and in the cafe alcohol can only be bought alongside food. No under 18s in the Members Bar after 5pm. The membership scheme changed on 29 September 2026 and a separate legacy scheme covers earlier subscribers.

Where to go next

Curzon and Everyman are the other two chains with memberships worth comparing, and both refuse refunds where Picturehouse allows them.

The Prince Charles Cinema is two minutes away with a £15 membership, and Soho covers the streets around all of them.

Questions we get asked

Can you use a Picturehouse membership at Picturehouse Central?

Only the West End tier. Membership Light at £6.99 a month is valid Monday to Thursday excluding bank holidays and Picturehouse Central, and Membership Classic at £9.99 is valid anytime excluding Picturehouse Central. Membership West End at £15.99 a month or £159.90 a year is the only one valid here, and it is the only one with Members' Bar access.

How much is Picturehouse membership?

Light £6.99 a month or £69.90 a year, Classic £9.99 or £99.90, West End £15.99 or £159.90. Annual prices are 12 months for the price of 10, paid in one go. The scheme changed on 29 September 2026 and subscribers from before that date are on a separate legacy scheme.

Can you get a refund on a Picturehouse ticket?

Yes, and you can do it yourself. Open the booking through the link in your confirmation email or in the Picturehouse app and cancel it, as long as it is more than two hours before the film. Money returns to the original card in 3 to 5 working days and Member Free tickets go back to the account. Booking fees are not refunded. Refunds can also be done at the box office or on 0207 018 3629.

What is the Picturehouse booking fee?

£1 per ticket for non-member tickets bought online. Note that it is per ticket rather than per transaction, so six tickets cost £6 in fees, where Everyman charges £2.50 and Curzon £2 for the whole booking. Members pay no booking fee.

Does Picturehouse do cheap tickets for the unemployed?

Yes. Tickets are £5.99 Monday to Thursday for anyone unemployed, available in person at the cinema box office only, with proof of unemployment or Jobseekers status required. It cannot be booked online.

How long are the trailers at Picturehouse?

Usually 15 to 20 minutes, which is the shortest standard reel of the London chains. Picturehouse recommends arriving for the advertised start time. Screen Arts events have reduced or no pre-show adverts. Latecomers are allowed in up to 20 minutes after the stated start at staff discretion.

What age is a Picturehouse child ticket?

Under 15. The student ticket then covers anyone aged 15 to 17 or in higher education, so a 15 to 17 year old gets the student rate on age alone without being enrolled anywhere. Bring student ID if claiming as a student in higher education.

Can you drink at Picturehouse Central without a film ticket?

Not after 9pm. A valid ticket is needed to buy and consume alcohol in the restaurant, bar and Members' Bar after 9pm, and in the downstairs cafe alcohol can only be bought alongside food at any time. No one under 18 is admitted to the Members' Bar after 5pm. These are premises licence conditions.