All under-16s must be accompanied by a ‘responsible adult’ if they wish to attend screenings from 7pm. They said they’ve taken the decision with a ‘heavy heart’ and hope it could be reversed in future
06:56, 21 May 2026Updated 07:00, 21 May 2026
The cinema said it had introduced the ban ‘with a heavy heart'(Image: Birmingham Mail)
A Welsh cinema has banned under-16s from watching films without their parents in the evening following a spate of incidents of anti-social behaviour.
The cinema said all children under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult from 7pm screenings in a bid to try and combat the problems it is having.
Galeri, a cinema and arts centre in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, said it has received “an increasing number of complaints about anti-social behaviour from some young people in our cinema screens”.
Behaviour has reportedly included damaging seats, shouting at other customers, filming in the screens and just generally being disruptive, the cinema said in a statement published on its social media pages. The cinema said it was announcing the policy change “with a heavy heart”.
The ban on under-16s without a responsible adult is described as a “temporary change” to Galeri’s audience policy. Always keep on top of the latest Welsh news with our newsletter
Galeri is a cinema and arts centre in Caernarfon(Image: Google)
The statement reads: “Everyone enjoys going to the cinema – a place to relax, learn and enjoy the latest films with your favourite actors.
“However, recently we have been receiving an increasing number of complaints about anti-social behaviour from some young people in our cinema screens.
“This is a major concern for us as an art centre, as we truly enjoy seeing young people coming through our doors and feeling part of the buzz here at Galeri.
“Due to incidents of anti-social behaviour – including damaging seats, shouting at customers, filming in the screens and acting in a disruptive manner – we are, with a heavy heart, introducing some temporary changes to our audience policies to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone.
“From now on, all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult for our 7pm screenings. If a responsible adult is not present, or if age cannot be verified, entry to the cinema will not be permitted.
“We sincerely apologise for this and greatly appreciate your understanding. We would like to emphasise that this is a temporary arrangement, and we will be closely monitoring the situation as we work towards a longer-term solution.
“Please help us to respect this valuable community asset and look after it.”