Palma cinema plans softer sound for autistic people
A cinema in Palma is planning screenings with softer sound, gentle lighting and room to move for autistic and neurodivergent people, as well as those with specific sensory needs. Artesiete FAN at FAN Mallorca Shopping is developing the sessions with Ningún Niño Sin Terapia - Autismo Mallorca. The plans were presented on 31 August 2026.
The first film lined up is Tadeo Jones y la lámpara maravillosa, although no date or screening time has been confirmed. The partners intend to build the project gradually.
The proposed changes would allow people to stand up or move during the film, leave the auditorium and come back in, and make sounds or use other forms of self-regulation in an understanding setting. The aim is to remove obstacles that can make an ordinary cinema visit difficult, including high volume, darkness, having to stay seated and a lack of understanding of certain behaviour.
The association will bring families’ experience and its autism expertise to the project, so the measures reflect real needs and work in practice. Similar adapted screenings already run elsewhere in Spain.
For the partners, access is not only about physical barriers. Sound, lighting, social rules and the expectation to remain still can also stop some people from taking part in leisure activities. They want the Palma screenings to mean nobody has to give up going to the cinema because they experience it differently.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com