MVM’s CineMeasure recorded 1.96 million cinema admissions during Eid al-Adha 2026 — a 38% increase over 2025
Eid al-Adha 2026 has set a new benchmark for cinema attendance across the region. Data from Motivate Val Morgan’s cinema admissions reporting platform, CineMeasure, recorded a record-breaking 1.96 million admissions across the MVM circuit during the eleven-day Eid al-Adha holiday window from May 21 to May 31, 2026.
This year’s extended public holiday gave audiences across the GCC, Egypt and Lebanon a generous window to head to their nearest cinema – and they made the most of it!
The broader holiday period naturally translated into a wider admission window (May 21–31), and the result sits well with the traditional Eid al-Adha box office spike observed in previous years: the equivalent holiday period delivered 1.62 million admissions in 2024 and 1.42 million in 2025. This year’s 1.96 million represents a 38% increase over 2025 and a 21% increase over 2024.
A Blockbuster Lineup Fuelled the Footfall
The record was powered by a diverse content mix of new releases and sustained blockbuster holdovers that catered to every segment of the audience.
Fresh titles timed to the Eid window drew audiences in large numbers. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu arrived as a major event release, while Obsession, Drishyam 3, and Backrooms, added genre variety to the corridor.
On the regional front, 7 Dogs — the SAR 150 million Arabic-language action film — landed as a marquee Eid al-Adha release with 213k admissions across four days from the 28th of May and reinforced the growing commercial ambition of local productions during peak holiday windows. The success of Arabic titles during Eid al-Adha is no longer an emerging trend. It is a structural feature of the regional box office calendar.
Beyond the new releases, the holdover blockbusters showed no signs of slowing down. The Devil Wears Prada 2 continued to pull strong numbers across the region. Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic that has already crossed $846 million at the global box office, maintained its theatrical momentum. And The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the highest-grossing release of 2026 globally with $855 million earned in April alone, kept drawing family audiences well into the holiday period.
The depth of demand across both new and catalogue titles, action, thriller and family blockbusters points to a market where audiences are not choosing between films — they are watching several.
Global Box Office Momentum Backs the Regional Surge
The regional performance sits within a broader picture of global cinema strength. According to Gower Street Analytics, the total global box office at the end of April 2026 reached an estimated $10.6 billion. The international market delivered a near decade-best April, running 24% ahead of the same period last year and closing in on April 2023 levels. The global year-to-date trajectory is the strongest since 2019, up 17% on 2025 and 19% on 2024.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Michael, and the continued holdover strength of Project Hail Mary drove the global numbers. The Devil Wears Prada 2 then kicked off May with further momentum, followed by Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu later in the month.
The Middle East continues to outperform as part of the broader EMEA region, which remains one of the fastest-recovering markets in the global cinema landscape. For advertisers, these numbers reinforce that cinema remains the most effective ‘away from home’ entertainment platform — delivering scale, attention and engagement in a brand-safe environment.
The Summer Slate Has Only Just Begun
The Eid al-Adha figures mark the opening act of what promises to be an extraordinary summer at the box office. The upcoming release corridor is loaded with franchise tentpoles, animated spectacles and regional productions that will keep audiences returning to cinemas throughout June and July.
June alone brings Masters of the Universe, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, Pixar’s Toy Story 5 and DC’s Supergirl. July raises the stakes further with Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, Disney’s live-action Moana, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Arabic cinema is equally well represented across the summer window, with Arabic-language releases set to drive culturally resonant audience engagement across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and the wider region.
With the summer school holidays ahead and a theatrical pipeline of this calibre, the MVM represented cinema circuit is positioned for sustained, high-volume audience engagement through Q3 2026.
All admissions data presented are derived from the Motivate Val Morgan intelligence platform CineMeasure, which is exclusively available to our clients for tracking cinema campaign success.
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