The ultimate movie premiere destination 

When the biggest movies come to town, ODEON Leicester Square is the only place to be. This world-famous London landmark is home to ODEON’s flagship Luxe cinema where, since 1937, we’ve been proud to host Hollywood’s heavyweights in five-star comfort as they launch their latest blockbusters. 

For a taste of the ODEON movie premiere experience, check out our red carpet video interviews with everyone from Dwayne Johnson to Will Smith. And next time you’re in town on film premiere night, don’t forget to swing by ODEON Leicester Square with your autograph book.   

What happens at a movie premiere? 

There’s nothing more glamorous than an ODEON movie premiere. The expectant crowds. The photographers readying their flashbulbs. And then the moment we’ve all been waiting for, as the car doors open and the legends of Hollywood sweep up the red carpet in all their finery, flashing megawatt smiles and greeting their fans. 

Alongside the historic location, the film industry also chooses to launch movies at ODEON’s Leicester Square cinema for its cutting-edge facilities. Here, you’ll find the pinnacle of the game-changing technology and comfort that make ODEON Luxe cinemas the gold standard for a truly magical night out.  

From the none-more-chic reclining seats to immersive audio-visuals that make every film come flying off the screen, ODEON Leicester Square is the ultimate showcase of what cinema is capable of. Movie star or not, everyone should experience a film at this palace of cinema at least once.            

A brief history of Leicester Square film premieres

ODEON’s flagship cinema in Leicester Square is the spiritual home of the British film premiere and a world of unashamed luxury that is (literally) fit for a king. Designed by architects Harry Weedon and Andrew Mather, the head-turning building, with its 120-foot tower, was inspired by the art deco style of the 1920s – while the 2,116 seats in the two-tier auditorium were originally finished in leopardskin! 

As the jewel in founder Oscar Deutsch’s cinema empire, ODEON Leicester Square opened its doors on November 2nd, 1937, with a screening of The Prisoner Of Zenda. But it was always destined for greater things. In 1946, when a location was required for the annual Royal Film Performance, the cinema’s unprecedented comfort and state-of-the-art features – including a Compton organ – made it the obvious choice. The first of many movie premieres attended by the royal family here was 1948’s Hamlet, starring Laurence Olivier.  

Steeped in history and regularly refreshed to reflect the march of fashion and cinema technology, ODEON Leicester Square has gone on to forge its enduring status as the key destination for London film premieres. Quite simply, anyone who’s anyone in showbiz has walked that fabled red carpet at some point in their career, from Frank Sinatra (for 1958’s Me And The Colonel) to Samuel L. Jackson (for 2019’s Glass).   

And the most special guest of them all? It has to be the Queen herself, who has been a regular guest over the decades and a familiar presence at Bond films, whether welcoming Sean Connery to the premiere of 1967’s You Only Live Twice or ushering in Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007 with 2006’s Casino Royale. 

At ODEON Leicester Square, you’re in good company.