**Factsheet**

Facts about cinemas in Singapore

• There are about 35 cinemas in operation as of 2021.

• The cinema industry in Singapore is an oligopoly with 5 main cinema operators.

• The cinema operators are Golden Village, Shaw Theatres, Cathay Cineplexes, Filmgarde and WE Cinemas.

• Movies screened in theatres are rated as one of the following: G (general), PG (parental guidance), PG13 (parental guidance 13), NC16 (no children under 16), M18 (mature 18) or R21 (restricted 21). The last three ratings are enforced by law, while PG and PG13 serve as advisories for children and their parents.

• Films are presented in 2D (often in digital), 3D, IMAX 2D or IMAX 3D. 3D spectacles are loaned to patrons who are watching 3D shows and they have to be returned thereafter. Only three cinema halls in Singapore have IMAX capabilities (Shaw Theatres Lido, JCube and Punggol Waterway Point).

• There are commercials and trailers before the movie and thus, the actual movie does not necessarily start exactly at their scheduled timings. Some movie operators tend to show more commercials than others.

• Couple seats are available in some theatres; some even feature theatres that are completely filled with couple seats (Cathay Cineleisure Orchard). Some theatres have moveable armrests.
  
• Cinemas are moving towards all digital screens, which can be thought of as the gold standard.

• New movie titles usually open on Thursdays.

• Ticket prices are higher on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, as well as Public Holidays and their eves. Tickets to films presented in 3D format are priced higher; those to shows presented in IMAX are double the price of a standard 2D ticket. Cinema operators also practise price discrimination by offering lower prices to students and senior citizens, as well as an array of discounts with corporate partners.

• Cinema operators offer online, phone and mobile app bookings in addition to box office purchases. Mobile tickets are increasingly being used.

• All 5 cinema operators disallow outside food and drinks. The level of enforcement depends on the cinema.

• Concession counters generally offer popcorn (sweet or salted), nachos, hotdogs, drinks, snacks, packaged candies. The price of a regular popcorn and drink is approximately equal to the price of a normal weekday ticket. Most but not all cinema operators offer "popcorn combos" comprising of one single price for a popcorn and drink. And in some cinemas, the ticketing and concession counters are combined into a single queue.

• There is general consensus that movie theatres are cold in Singapore and the use of mobile devices by patrons is, as always, an annoyance for movie goers.