LED lighting for cinemas
In a cinema you find many different types of rooms that all need to be lit differently. To do that, you also need many different types of lights. But which light bulb and which fixture is suitable? In this blog we tell you all about cinema lights!
Which cinema lights are the best to use in the lobby?
The lobby of a cinema welcomes visitors and often has a catering facility where visitors can have a drink. There is also often a food concession where visitors can buy snacks and drinks. It is important that there is a relaxing atmosphere here that puts visitors at ease and is inviting. The lighting here is brighter than in other areas of the cinema. The light colour in the lobby is often cooler than in the other areas of the movie theatre. Therefore, ceiling lights, recessed spotlights and downlights are ideally suited to provide general lighting in the lobby of a cinema.
What kind of lighting is suitable to use in the corridors of a cinema?
If you are looking for lighting in corridors, wall-mounted fixtures are a good option. They provide the corridors with comfortable lighting and, if you choose dimmable lighting, you can create a pleasant light transition when visitors enter the cinema auditorium. Recessed fixtures are also perfect for this area, such as recessed spotlights. Movie theatres often use design lighting in corridors. It is also important to use a warmer light colour here than in the lobby. This allows visitors' eyes to gradually get used to the darker lighting before entering the cinema auditorium.
Which lighting is perfect to use in a cinema auditorium?
In a cinema auditorium, you can choose from many different types of fixtures which all have different purposes. To determine which fixture you need, you should think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create in the auditorium. We tell you all about what you need to take into account and which fixtures are suitable for that.
General lighting
General lighting is important in the cinema auditorium. Ceiling lights are the perfect fixture to provide general lighting. Go for bulkheads or recessed fixtures, such as recessed spotlights or downlights. But there are more options to choose from! Wall lights are also the perfect lighting for cinema auditoriums. They create an extra inviting and warm atmosphere that will make your visitors feel at ease here. And to add even more: for some lighting you can set a time for the lights to automatically switch off and on at appropriate times, such as at the start of the film, during the break and when the film ends.
Good to know! To create a warm atmosphere in a cinema auditorium, choose lighting with tunable white. You can change the light colours yourself and you can choose from 2700K (warm white) to 6500K (daylight). It is important that the lighting is bright when staff are working here, but also that it can be dimmed just before a film starts. With tunable white, you can choose a cool light colour that shines brightly during the day and dim the lighting in the evening, but also choose a warmer light colour to create a relaxed atmosphere in the room.
Staircase lighting
In a dark cinema auditorium, safety is paramount. This means that the stairs should be well lit, but each step should also be illuminated with, for example, an LED strip to prevent accidents in the dark. For added safety, it is also an option to illuminate the handrail on the stairs using LED strips.
But that's not all. People also need to be able to find their seats in the dark. Therefore, it is important that the row numbers are also illuminated. You can place lighting under the seats and on the floor next to the seats to illuminate the walkway. LED strips and LED spotlights are the perfection option for this.
What cinema lights do I use in bathrooms?
In the bathroom, it is important for everyone's safety that the room is well lit. Wall and ceiling lights, but also recessed and surface-mounted spotlights are perfect to use here. Because visitors sometimes like to freshen up, you can use mirror lighting with a good colour rendering index. But there is no need to buy mirror lights for this. You can place LED strips above the mirror and you will provide your visitors with the best lighting!
Which emergency lighting is suitable in cinemas?
Safety comes first. That is why emergency lighting is compulsory in all common areas of all public buildings, including cinemas. Especially in the auditorium and corridors, it is extremely important to place emergency lighting. Emergency lighting consists of two types:
- Escape route marking: these signs show you where the nearest emergency exit is.
- Escape route lighting: these signs show you the way to the emergency exit in case of an emergency.
Both types of emergency lighting are compulsory. Are you still looking for emergency lighting? You can find emergency lighting in our web shop. This lighting meets the BS EN 12464-1:2021 requirements (BS EN 1838 BS EN ISO 7010, BS EN 3011 and BS EN 50172) set for emergency lighting.
Which BS EN 12464-1 standards apply in movie theatres?
In public buildings, European legislation requires the lighting in communal areas to have sufficient lux. This is the BS EN 12464-1:2021 standard. The table below explains the number of compulsory lux for cinema lights in certain rooms.
| Room | Number of required lux |
| Lobby | 200 |
| Food area | 200 |
| Staircases | 150 |
| Waiting room and entrance hall | 100 |
| Bathroom | 200 |
Do you want to learn more about communal lighting in your cinema? Then read our Communal Lighting Guide.
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Anne - Laatste update december 2023