Monthly data provided by the Instituto do Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA) indicate that in February, movie theatres had 512,965 spectators and €2.8 million in box office revenue.

Comparing with February 2021, the month in which cinemas were closed as part of the Covid-19 containment measures, there is now an increase of 100%, in terms of year-on-year variation (variable between the current month and the same month of the previous year).

However, looking at data from February 2020, cinema consumption habits in the commercial circuit in Portugal are still below those practiced in the pre-pandemic period.

According to the ICA, in February 2020, there were 1.1 million spectators and €6.3 million in gross box office revenue, more than double that of last February.

Reduction in cinemas

There is also a reduction in the number of theatres with regular cinema exhibitions.

According to the ICA, in 2021 the cinema exhibition took place in 543 screens, that is, in 49 more screens than in February 2022.

Checking by district, Beja lost half of its movie theatres.

Aveiro had 11 cinemas in operation (six less than in 2021) and Portalegre went from five to two theatres.

In the Azores, the number of cinemas went from nine to five.

In the district of Porto, the ICA indicates that the regular exhibition circuit lost seven cinemas, for a total of 94 screens.

In February, the most watched film in Portugal was “Uncharted”, by Ruben Fleischer, with 156,720 spectators.

The ICA considers that the most watched Portuguese film this year is “The man who killed D. Quixote”, by Terry Gilliam, with 5,518 spectators, although it is a minority Portuguese co-production, partially shot in Portugal.