You must be aware of matinee schedules at various movie theaters if you decide to watch a movie in the afternoon to save some bucks because its ticket is normally less expensive than the evening or night ones. American movie theater chains continue to provide matinees. However, matinees differ among the numerous movie theater chains, thus all of them have different times.
You can mistakenly buy a regular ticket if you frequently visit different theaters for matinee films. To help you out, we came up with this article.
What Is A Matinee Movie?
A Matinee movie is basically a movie that begins in the afternoon, which is typically a slow time for theater customers. In essence, matinee movie times are chosen to draw more customers to the cinemas when business is slow. These sessions frequently last from 3:30 in the afternoon until 6 at night.
In order to boost sales and expand their clientele to people drawn in by cheaper movie tickets, cinemas in the United States and other nations have embraced this approach.
Matinee Movie History
You must be wondering just when the matinees are. Matinee is a translation of the French word matin, which simply means “Morning.” The French word matinée, pronounced “Mat-i-nay” (listen below), literally translates to “Morning Performance.” But as the English do, we have changed the word over time to fit the way we want to use it.
As you are probably aware, the term “Matinee” now refers to an afternoon or daytime theatrical, cinematic, or broadway performance in the United States and most other western countries.
However, between the 1930s and 1960s, the French were the ones who initially coined the word to describe one of their favorite pastimes: Opera. The same is true in France as it is today, where there is always an opening act to pump up the crowd prior to any main performances.
Before The Opera’s show, an introductory film was showcased to get the crowd all warmed up. The Opera was a well-known figure. The term “Matinee Idol” was first derived from these films’ often use of gorgeous male leads. You may now impress your pals with your knowledge of matinee history the next time you go to the movies during a matinee!
You will certainly find the use of the term “Matinee” the most in theaters in the United States and Canada. In other countries, you will simply find the less expensive tickets of daytime under the tags of “Early-bird,” “Afternoon,” or “Morning” tickets.
Matinee Times For Well-Known Cinemas
Here are several American movie theaters’ matinee times:
| Movie Theater | Matinee Time |
|---|---|
| AMC | 12:00 pm – 3:55 pm |
| Regal | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm |
| Carmike | 12:00 pm – 3:55 pm |
| Harkins | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Cinemark | 11:00 am – 3:50 pm |
Please be aware that the times are approximate. Please confirm with your neighborhood theater.
What Are Matinee Times?
As you could conclude from the above-mentioned table, American movie theater companies typically charge matinee prices for their tickets anywhere from early morning to late afternoon. Others begin in the morning, while some prolong their hours until the early evening.
We are unable to efficiently handle matinee timings for each individual cinema because there are thousands of unique movie theaters in the United States and many more worldwide. Instead, if it’s crucial to you, merely get in touch with the theater you intend to see to confirm their own matinee dates.
The term “Matinee times” was first used to designate cinema showings before the evening opera in France between the years of the 1930s and the 1960s.
What Matinee Times Tickets Are Eligible For Discounts?
In 91% of the cases, only general admission/adult tickets are eligible for discounts during the matinee time period at movie theaters, according to substantial research that was performed across various American movie theater chains.
This is simply because tickets for children, seniors, students, and members of the military are already considerably less expensive than those for adults. Concessions are where movie theater chains make the majority of their revenue, thus lowering the already low ticket prices further could put them in the negative.
Again, you might be considering going to a theater in the 10% that does offer matinee discounts on all tickets. You should contact them in advance since doing so could help you save a lot of money.
Final Thoughts
A matinee is simply a performance of a play or a musical that is held during the day, typically in the late afternoon. Comparatively speaking, matinee movie tickets are less expensive than those for evening or late-night showings. This article discussed matinee schedules for well-known theater chains worldwide, including AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are afternoon performances known as matinees?
The word “Matinee” is derived from the French word for the morning. It is used to describe daytime rather than evening performances. The word now more often refers to the afternoon rather than the general daytime.
How do matinee movie tickets work?
A matinee, to cut a long story short, is a daytime screening of a movie that often has a lower ticket price than a nocturnal showing. A matinee often takes place between dawn and mid-afternoon, though this varies based on the franchise you’re visiting.
Can there be a matinee in the morning?
A matinee, it turns out, is a performance that is advertised for the morning but actually starts after noon. A soiree is a performance that is planned for the evening but lasts well into the night.
