Cinema chain offers free tickets to redheads to ‘shelter’ them from next week’s heatwave

The Met Office issuing its first ever red warning for extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday has rightfully worried many of us, as there are fears temperatures could reach a new high of 40C.

Urgent and important questions are being asked, such as how we address the climate crisis, and protect ourselves in such searing conditions. Though for one cinema chain, they’re asking a different question entirely…

Won’t somebody please think of the redheads?!

In a promotion called ‘SPF for Redheads’ – with the SPF standing for ‘Sun Protecting Flicks’, of course – Showcase Cinemas are offering free tickets for gingers to see a film away from the unbearable heat forecast early next week.

A description on the company’s website reads: “Experts say the UK is soon to witness its hottest EVER days on record and since redheads are often more vulnerable than most to the sun’s rays, we’re giving them shelter from the sun inside our fully air-conditioned cinema screens to catch the latest blockbusters for no cost at all!”

Films currently screening include Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions 2: The Rise of Gru, Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick.

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Some have relished the opportunity for a freebie, or considered potential disguises or tactics to enjoy the offer:

While others weren’t so convinced by the marketing campaign:

The Met Office’s red warning was issued on Friday, in an update which said there is a 50 per cent chance temperatures of 40C will be recorded, breaking the current record high of 38.7C from July 2019.

The weather agency’s chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.

“This level of heat can have adverse health effects.”

Elsewhere, the UK’s Health Security Agency – a body which replaced Public Health England last year – has issued a Level 4 heat-health alert, meaning the heatwave is so severe or prolonged that its effects “extend outside the health and social care system”.

“At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,” the warning reads.

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