The biggest week ever for Families at Showroom, as we kick off PLAY festival 2026

Mythical adventures, blanket forts and interactive gameshows. It’s a blockbuster week for the whole family at Showroom Cinema.

PLAY, our brand-new family festival, starts this week. Across 12 days, Showroom screens creative stories told across big and small screens, from VR experiences and gaming to incredible animation and heartwarming stories of childhood.

It kicks off with WiFi Wars on Wednesday 29 July at 18.00. Play together in this live comedy game show, competing in old-school games and puzzles to win the show, and prizes! A fun and unique night for the whole family.

Or dive into some great ways to create and learn. Blanket Fort Club help your young one to conjure up their own magical piece of sensory immersive theatre, building forts, crafting props and creating a story together in two different sessions running Friday 31 July – Sunday 2 August. Or learn retro game design and animation through Minecraft, in workshops with ComputerXplorers on Friday 31 July and Monday 3 August.

On the big screen, enjoy the interactive video game concert Extra Lives on Friday 31 August. Or delight in old and new animations: Hola Frida! shows the early life of beloved artist Frida Kahlo, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie sees our favourite plumber on an interstellar epic, and The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a charming 100-year-old shadow puppet story, brought new life with a live score performed by Northern Silents on Sunday 2 August.

It is going to be an absolute blast! Explore the full programme at showroomcinema.org.uk/festivals/PLAY2026.

Our Family Time film this week is The Sword in the Stone on Saturday 1 August at 11.00. Disney’s animated classic concerns a young orphan named Wart, who under the tutelage of the magical Merlin may reclaim his destiny as the King of England!

Family Time screenings take place in a relaxed setting, with low-level lighting and hard-of-hearing subtitles where possible. Show your ticket in our Café Bar for 10% off food and 20% off hot drinks.

Finally, our catch the iconic Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense, as part of Baby Kino on Monday 3 August at 12.15. Baby Kino is exclusively for parents and guardians with babies under one, and each ticket includes a free tea or coffee and 10% off food in our Café Bar. Browse the full programme at: https://showroomcinema.org.uk/cinema-clubs/children-and-families

By Nathan Makalena, Creative Coordinator