LONNOW.COMFAMILY LONDON
Matilda at the Barbican: a half-term film and bookmark morning
A book-loving half-term morning with a film at its centre. Arrive earlier if the family wants to make bookmarks, then keep the rest of the day small and unhurried.
The film and the extra activity
Danny DeVito’s 1996 adaptation follows a neglected, bookish child who discovers an unusual way to stand up to cruel adults.
Pam Ferris plays headteacher Miss Trunchbull. The film runs 108 minutes; this is the original screen adaptation’s anniversary, not a theatre performance.
Bookmark materials are available from 10:30 and after the film. Decide whether your child would enjoy making something first, rather than treating that earlier hour as compulsory arrival.
- Screening
- 28 October 2026 · 11:30 GMT
- Film
- 1996 · Danny DeVito · 108 minutes · PG
- Suitability
- Organiser suggests 6+; adult and child must attend together
- Price
- Under-18 £2.50; adult £5; listed £1.50 transaction fee
- Activity
- Bookmarks from 10:30 and after the film
On this page
Who can attend and what it costs
This is a family screening: adults must bring a child and children must attend with an adult.
The organiser suggests age six and above and lists PG. Under-18 tickets are £2.50 and adults £5, with a listed £1.50 transaction fee; members are exempt from that fee.
A one-adult, one-child booking therefore totals £9 under those stated terms, before any checkout change. Check the final basket and suitability information before paying.
Getting to the right cinema
Cinema 2 is on Beech Street, across the road from the main Barbican building.
Use the cinema entrance in your journey plan rather than assuming a Silk Street arrival finishes the trip. Barbican, Moorgate and St Paul’s are nearby Tube options; compare the route from your starting point in TfL.
Keep a screenshot of the booking and cinema address so an unfamiliar estate layout does not turn the final approach into a rush.
Access and a comfortable family visit
The cinema has level access from Beech Street and a ramp to its auditorium, with wheelchair and step-free seating arrangements.
The route between the main centre and the cinemas includes inclines and dropped kerbs. Ask the box office about the seat and route you need before paying.
For a child who may need a break, choose the group’s seating and meeting plan thoughtfully; a film certificate is not a promise that every child will feel comfortable throughout.
Keep the second stop close
Let the screening be the day’s fixed booking.
Have lunch before or afterwards, and use the Cinema Café as an optional pause rather than adding a second distant attraction. A short look around the Barbican estate can work in dry weather, but keep it flexible.
Avoid booking a meal at the theoretical film finish: introductions, settling in and leaving the auditorium all need room. For a family trip, one enjoyable film and an easy journey home can be enough.
Before you book
Checked on 4 October 2026.
The official availability component did not expose a dependable seat count, so this guide does not promise tickets remain. Use the direct event page to complete booking and read the current admission terms.
No projection format is confirmed in the information used here. Keep the ticket, date and cinema together in your saved plan, then check the journey again on the day.
