The Best English Movie Theatres In Spain [Ultimate Guide]
Spain has more than 2000 cinemas and around 1300 cinema clubs nationwide. Although there has been a recent shift towards home entertainment, with streaming platforms becoming more accessible than ever, theatres still remain a reasonably popular option and continue to attract audiences.
Are you a fan of movies and love watching them in the cinema? Unfortunately, if you are in Spain, you might find it hard to locate cinemas which play English movies since most foreign movies are dubbed in Spanish. But in larger cities, you might be able to find cinemas that play the original versions of movies, that is, in the English language.
The Best English Movie Theaters In Spain
You will be able to find theatres that play movies that aren’t Spanish. Remember that these theatres will have shows for both the original version, and for dubbed versions. You will usually be able to locate a sign which tells you whether the movie is a ‘VO’ (Version Original) or a ‘VOSE’ (Version Original Subtilada en Espanol) which is a dubbed movie.
English Movie Theaters In Madrid
- Renior Retiro: this is close to the famour Retiro Park. The cinema offers VOSE versions too so you can watch your favorite movies in English
- Cines Verdi: on the Calle Bravo Murillo, one of the most vibrant streets in the city
- Renoir Cines Princesa: located in the shopping center Plaza de los Cubos, on the Calles de la Princesa
- Cines Golem: on the Calle de Martin de los Heros near Plaza de Espana
- Cines Dore: on the Calles Santa Isabel
- Cine Berlanga (previously called the Cine California): on Calles Andres Mellado
- Cine Estudio Circulo de Bellas Artes: on the Calles del Marques de Casa Riera inside the famous cultural organization center Circulo de Bellas Artes
- Cines Zoco Majadahonda: an independent theater and performing art center in Majadahonda
English Movie Theaters In Barcelona
- Cinemes Melies: on Calle Villarroel in the relatively newer district of Eixample
- Cines Verdi: on the central street Carrer de Verdi close to Gracia’s placas
- Filmoteca de Catalunya: a publically funded institution in the Placa de Salvador Segui
- Phenomena: on Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret
- Renoir Floridablanca: on Carrer Floridablanca
- Yelmo Comedia: on the luxurious Passeig de Gracia
- Yelmo Icaria: on Carrer Salvador Espiriu in Sant Marti
English Movie Theaters In Costa del Sol
- Cinesa Cine La Canada: on Carretera Ojen inside the La Canada shopping center
- Yelmo Cines Malaga: on the Avda. Alfonso ponce Leon inside the Vialia shopping center
- Cine Sur – Fuengirola Myramar: inside the Parque Miramar shopping center on the Avenida de la Encarnacion right off the A-7 highway
- Albeniz Multicines: on the Calle Alcazabilla
English Movie Theaters In Seville
- Avenida 5 Cines: on the Calle del Marques de Paradas
- Cinesa Plaza de Armas: in the Plaza de Armas shopping center
- Alameda Multicines UCC: on the Calle Alameda de Hercules
- Arcos Multicines UCC: in the Los Arcos shopping center on the Avda. Andalucia
- Nervion Plaza: in the Centro Comercial Nervion Plaza on the Av. Luis de Morales
English Movie Theaters In Valencia
- Cine Yelmo: located adjacent to the old route of the River Turia, in the Mercado de Campanar shopping complex
- Cines Babel: close to the old Mestalla stadium on Carrer de Vincent Sancho Tello
- La Fimoteca (Sala Luis G. Berlanga): located in the Rialto Theater in the heart of the city
- Arago Cinema: on the Avenida Aragon
- Cinestudio D’OR: around the Canovas region in the city
7 Things You Need To Know About Going To The Movies In Spain
You Can Get Great Deals All Around The Week
Cinemas in Spain offer discounts for students, children under 13 and pensioners too. In some places you can even avail a ‘couple’s day’ deal where couples pay half-price for their tickets. Apart from this, Wednesday is Dia del Espectador in most places. This means that movie theatres offer reduced prices on tickets to attract more people in the middle of the week. Because of this deal, the lines are usually very long at the cinemas so be sure to reach timely to get your tickets and catch your favorite show.
You Can Take Along Your Own Snacks
A few years ago, a Spanish court ruled that since theatres allow eating and drinking within their premises, they cannot prevent people from bringing their own snacks. This is because the primary business for a cinema is selling the movie and not the snacks. You might find that some cinemas still make an issue out of this, but taking your own snacks along is your right and you should stay firm on it.
The Popcorn Offered At The Cinema Is Not Buttered
Popcorn is a staple for anyone going to the movies. But if you are ordering it at a cinema in Spain, it might not be buttered! While this might not be a huge bother for some people, others might find it quite annoying and it could put a damper on your plans and mood.
Expect It To Be A Quiet Show
The demand for Hollywood movies and especially those in their original English language is not very high in Spain. Most locals will stick to Spanish movies. So you can expect the audience to be scant for an English language movie.
Tickets Will Come With A Seat Number
This might come as a surprise to you if you are coming from, say, the United States. Tickets have a seat number on them and you cannot simply buy a ticket and then go sit anywhere in the hall. Most ticket-sellers will let you choose a seat when making the purchase so you can see which seats have been taken and which one you prefer to get.
Entry And Exit Point Are Different
This may or may not be a surprise for you, depending on which country you are coming from. In countries like the US, you would typically enter and exit the theater through the same door. But in Spain, entry and exit points are different, so after the movie you may not be able to look at all the shops that seemed so tempting on your way in!
You Are Likely To Find Separate Theatres For All Kinds Of Movie-Goers
If you are a fan of traditional movies, or prefer more independent projects, you are sure to find all kinds of movies in Spanish cinemas. What is even more interesting is that there are separate cinemas for these! For instance, you can go to a cinema if you want to catch traditional movies, a different one if you want to catch original language movies (i.e. those that have not been dubbed in Spanish), and a different cinema if you prefer to catch smaller, independent and artsy projects.
There’s nothing quite like catching your favorite movie at a cinema close to you. Now that you have a list of English cinemas in each of the major cities, you no longer have to resort to dubbed movies. So go ahead and enjoy the movies any time with your friends!