Attendance at Tarbes cinemas followed the extraordinary national trend in 2024, with a significant increase of between 5 and 10%. As we enter 2025, the sector is optimistic.
In the lobby of the CGR cinema in Tarbes, calm reigns at the start of the afternoon, for this first Wednesday of 2025. Only a group of three young people surround one of the sparkling arcade machines. The timid atmosphere contrasts with the success of the past “good year” for the establishment. In 2024, “at least 5%” additional entries have been recorded compared to the previous year, estimates director Olivier Ture. Cinema followed the positive national trend in the sector (181 million admissions in 2024). “It’s not much left, we haven’t found our pre-Covid level,” Olivier Ture wants to qualify. According to him, the release of “end-of-year locomotives” like the Comte de Monté Cristo or A Little Something Extra have contributed very largely to the results for the year 2024. “People no longer come for an outing but for a movie. The return of people to the cinema will require good films,” assures the manager.
At the Parvis Scène nationale de Tarbes Pyrénées, a more intense contentment wins over the troops. “We are coming out of an exceptional year,” rejoices Ana Ribeiro, deputy manager of the cultural programming venue. Attendance at its theaters in 2024 is close to the figures for 2019, “a very big year”. “Good films” also helped the Parvis. “Emilia Perez and En Fanfare were two nice surprises,” adds Ana Ribeiro.
Lucas and Marine, two young customers, walk through one of the doors of the CGR. In recent months, the headlines have attracted the two Tarbais towards “an atmosphere other than that of TV”, recognizes Marine. “We mainly went to see the big films, more French than American,” confirms Lucas.
The release of Kaizen, the documentary by YouTuber Inoxtag, remains a notable moment for Olivier Ture. “Within an hour, the theaters were full of people ready to pay to see a film that became free 12 hours later,” he recalls. The manager remains disappointed with the film Mufasa, the big poster child of the moment on paper, and more generally with the Christmas holidays. “The weather didn’t help, the ski resorts must be more crowded than the cinemas,” he presumes.
The promises of 2025
“On paper, the year 2025 is exceptional,” Olivier Ture cautiously projects. The new opuses of Avatar and Les Tuches are particularly anticipated. “People are getting back into the habit of going to the cinema that we had lost,” enthuses Ana Ribeiro. The Tarbes cinema market obviously hopes to ride on the success of the year which has just concluded.
An increase in attendance of 8% in rural communities
The success of cinema in 2024 in the Hautes-Pyrénées is not limited to Tarbes. It also concerns the smaller municipalities of the department. Within its network of cinemas, the Parvis draws an assessment that is just as positive as the national trend in local cinemas. “We would be looking at an increase of 8% compared to last year,” says Ana Ribeiro. From Bagnères-de-Bigorre (7,000 inhabitants) to Cizos (135 inhabitants), the big posters of the year appealed to young and old alike. In these communes, A little thing in addition and the Count of Monte Cristo were once again the two greatest successes. “We don’t yet know the schedule for 2025, but we are optimistic,” says Ana Ribeiro.
