UK cinemas to show 2002 biopic '24 Hour Party People' for 24th anniversary

Based on The Haçienda and Factory Records co-founder Tony Wilson, the film will be shown at over 100 independent cinemas across the UK next month.

Date published: 18th Sep 2026

Starting next month, over 100 independent cinemas across the UK will host free screenings of the 2002 biopic '24 Hour Party People' to celebrate the film's 24th anniversary. 

Starring comedian Steve Coogan as the co-founder of the seminal Factory Records and The Haçienda, Tony Wilson, who discovred discovered acts such as The Happy Mondays, Joy Division, and New Order. The film focuses on Manchester’s incredible music scene from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s. 

Confirmed to be kicking off Manchester’s music and media industry conference, Beyond The City, on Tuesday 6th October, followed by a Q&A featuring Coogan, director Michael Winterbottom and producer Andrew Eaton. The film's free screenings are also in association with Escapes, a BFI-supported initiative funded by The National Lottery as a way to make cinema accessible across the UK. 

The 24 Hour Party People screenings will take place between Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th October. 

The screenings will feature a new, 4K re-release of the biographical comedy, with a series of "relaxed screenings" featuring "dimmed lighting, gentler volume, no trailers or ads, and space where you can move around or make noise as and when you need to" also available at select cinemas. 

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Header image credit: https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/24-hour-party-people/