Advanced tickets are now available, before they go on public sale, for the Opening Night Gala of the 2025 BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express.
Join us on Wednesday 8 October for the international premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, by director Rian Johnson, at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Your donation will secure your ticket for one of the biggest nights in the BFI’s calendar and support our work as a charity.
You can walk the red carpet and enjoy an exclusive champagne reception before the film. Supporters will be among the first to see the eagerly anticipated film and then celebrate the start of LFF at the official post-screening reception.
Daniel Craig returns in his role of famed private detective Benoit Blanc for his most dangerous case yet. This time around will see Blanc unravelling a brand-new murder mystery in an as-yet undisclosed setting, surrounded by a colourful new cast of suspects.
The ensemble cast, including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church deliver layered, engaging performances that deepen the story’s intricate web of motives and mysteries.
You’re doing more than buying a ticket, you’re supporting the next generation of UK filmmakers. Thank you.
Together, we can do more.
More information
Standard tickets for the Opening Night Gala start from £10 (£6 for 25 and Under). The full festival programme will be revealed on Wednesday 3 September, with tickets on sale from Tuesday 16 September (Members book early).
- Opening night fundraising tickets cost £1,000, with limited availability
- Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Wednesday 8 October 2025
- Details of the pre- and post-screening receptions will be sent separately, after fundraising tickets for the Opening Night Gala have been purchased
- All proceeds support the BFI, registered charity 287780
How to book
or by calling 020 7928 3232 (open from 12pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday, and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday).
Terms and conditions
- Tickets are limited to 4 per person
- Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable
- By purchasing a ticket, you are agreeing to follow the rules set out in our Customer Charter