Cinemas in Rome and Paris offer free admission to vulnerable groups during heatwave hours

In Rome and Paris, cinemas are responding to the heat: Particularly vulnerable people get free admission during the hottest hours of the day.

Publication date: July 24, 2026 — 3:06 PM

Refreshingly cool, a scene from the film Odysseus. Photo: LMK/imago

By Tim Caspar Boehme

In Germany, there is little sign of summer temperatures these days. In other parts of Europe, however, it is burning — or simply unbearably hot. Meanwhile, reports of heat-related deaths are becoming more frequent even in this country, and parties like the Greens are urging the government to do more for heat protection.

New approaches to heat protection are already emerging in some southern European countries, even in the cultural sector.

Cinemas in Paris Lead the Way

In Paris, three cinemas in the 10th arrondissement have joined forces to form "Ciné-Clim." The Louxor, L'Archipel, and Brady offer free admission between 1 PM and 4 PM for people particularly vulnerable to the heat.

Rome Follows Suit

Due to its great success, Rome's Cinema Troisi has now taken this initiative as a model and also offers free access to vulnerable groups during the hottest hours of the day:

• People under 25 or over 65
• Pregnant women
• People with disabilities

These groups can enjoy some cooling from the cinema's air conditioning while watching films.

Commitment to Civil Society

"Allerta Fresco," which translates to Cold Alert, is the name of the cinema's offering, operated by the Fondazione Piccolo America. The foundation emerged from the occupation of the vacant Cinema America, which was saved from demolition in this way.

In city life, the "ragazzi del Cinema America" have been engaged for years through their open-air cinema programs, which they offer for free on public squares in Rome during the summer. Stars like Sean Penn or, this year, Robert De Niro repeatedly support the project with appearances at film screenings.

The civil society commitment regarding heat therefore fits perfectly with the Fondazione Piccolo America. It may not be much, but it can still help. Perhaps this context also explains the great box office success of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey". After all, you can stay cool for a full three hours with it.

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