Nuno Veiga / Lusa
Average of 19 people per session over the past year. Portugal records an obvious asymmetrical offer of movie theaters.
O Arrábida Shopping, in Vila Nova de Gaia, it was allowed to disaffection the film activity in new ones the 20 salas of the shopping center, for reasons of “Economic viability”, He told Lusa Source of the General Inspection of Cultural Activities (IGAC).
At Arrábida Shopping works Largest Film Room Complex in the countrywith twenty screens, but the owners of the shopping center asked this year to disaffection nine rooms, and the remaining eleven.
The request, which has already been authorized by the Ministry of Culture, “is based on the fact that the current number of movie theaters do not offer economic viability, in relation to the number of viewers and commercial cinematic supply for them, not justifying its current operation, with such a disproportionate offer in view of the search”, Reference to IGAC.
This ‘multiplex’ in Gaia, with more than 4,000 seats, It is managed by UCI Cinemas, the third largest film exhibitor in Portugal in number of rooms, which did not respond to Lusa’s request for clarification on a possible plan and reformulation calendar of the rooms.
Contacted by Lusa, the business group Sonae Sierra, which holds Arrábida Shopping and other shopping centers in the country with film screenings, also no use details about a possible reformulation of rooms.
According to the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA), which covers statistical data from the cinematic screening, the twenty cinema rooms of Arrábida Shopping totaled 460,533 viewers in 2024, with a average of 19 people per session. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, those twenty movie theaters welcomed 830,656 viewers, almost double the 2024 values.
Other cases
According to IGAC, this year were also requested to disaffection from other movie theaters in shopping centers in VIANA DO CASTELO and in Braga, that belong to Sonae Sierra.
The districts of Beja, Bragança and Portalegre have no regular diversified and daily commercial display of cinema, and depend on local management equipment to spend movies.
According to the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA), in 2024 and in the first half of 2025, those three districts had the lowest levels of audience in the country and the less diverse film supply to the population.
A Sala’s Cinema Better Beja, The only commercial display throughout this Alentejo district is closed for remodeling, with no reopening date and with the exhibition manifesting discouraged with the business, as told Lusa.
The movie theater ended August 1, after an inspection action by the General Inspection of Cultural Activities (IGAC), and remodeling implies at least floor renewal, about 200 chairs and the alarm system.
Has passed 13 years since they closed the three existing movie theaters in Bragança, For lack of search, with summary sessions to half a dozen viewers, and the spaces were turned into stores, confirmed the disinterest of exhibitors.
Since then, the only film screening has boiled down to the program of the Municipal Auditorium Paulo Quintela, a “huge effort” of the municipality, to keep the film activity in the capital city alive.
In other municipalities of Bragança district, such as Mogadouro, Moncorvo Tower, Freixo de Sword to the strap, vimaris, Miranda do Douro or Vila Flor, they are also the municipalities that invest in the exhibition. Sometimes there is even full house, with mogadouro always presenting current movies and “a room arranged from viewers”.
Em Portalegre, The film supply is from the Center for Arts and Shows that, in 2024, welcomed 109 sessions and 5,022 spectators.
In the national scene, the commercial display network, with regular sessions daily secured by private operators, is led by Nos Lusomundo Cinemas, with 218 rooms, followed by Cineplace (67 rooms) and UCI Cinemas (with 42 rooms).
