Comments on: Danish Sitting Arrangements

Question: Danish Sitting Arrangements

Gratishades — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:46:21 -0800

A friend was in a cinema in Copenhagen and the seats were numbered left to right 2,4,6,8,10,11,9,7,5,3,1. Is this normal in Copenhagen, Denmark, Scandinavia? If so what is the rationale?

By: NekulturnY

NekulturnY — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:56:03 -0800

It comes from the theatre. The division of 'even' and 'uneven' seats on opposite sides of the theatre prevent people from having to disturb a whole row to reach their seat.

In old theatres, rows of seats used to be much closer to each other, so it was more of a hassle to pass someone.

By: NekulturnY

NekulturnY — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:56:53 -0800

(oh, and it's not specific for Scandinavia, I've seen it pretty much everywhere in Europe at least)

By: Gratishades

Gratishades — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:06:03 -0800

Thanks for reply NekultrnY - I assume that you mean that people would know "I'm an odd number so should enter from the left" and therefore minimise disruption without having to know how many seats there are per row?

By: NekulturnY

NekulturnY — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:10:21 -0800

Yes, that's it. It's usually marked as well with big signs: even seats, uneven seats, or 'Balcony, even' & 'Balcony, uneven'.

By: Thrillhouse

Thrillhouse — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:26:33 -0800

They assign seats for movies? That seems like a lot of work.

By: Ookseer

Ookseer — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 06:44:47 -0800

@Thrillhouse:
It's not uncommon outside America. I've seen it in Europe and Asia.

I like the even/odd seats numbers. Never noticed it before, though I have seen rows divided down the middle to different sections. (K to the left J to the right)

By: beerbajay

beerbajay — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:05:36 -0800

Thrillhouse: Assigning seats is SOOOO much better than the way seats are given out in the US. They just give you a seat number automagically when you buy a ticket, then you have to sit there (unless the theatre is relatively empty). If you come late, you don't have to stand at the front lookin in vain for two seats next to each other.

By: the cydonian

the cydonian — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:12:13 -0800

@Thrillhouse: ALL cinemas I've been to (Asia only) have had assigned seating. :-)

By: Tacos Are Pretty Great

Tacos Are Pretty Great — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:55:22 -0800

Assigned seats FTW. I first ran into it in Europe, and it was great. Got assigned a comfy two-person love seat right in the center, then had some lunch and went to the movies.

By: pzarquon

pzarquon — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:20:52 -0800

The seats at a concert hall here in Honolulu are similarly divided even-odd down the center ("continental seating" with no center aisle), so it isn't purely a non-U.S. thing. Insofar as Hawaii is the U.S.

By: dash_slot-

dash_slot- — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:22:41 -0800

No assigned seats in the UK (which I still like to think of as european. Call me old fashioned).
And I've never seen seat numbers like that in the theatre either.

By: JJ86

JJ86 — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:20:04 -0800

I went to a few theaters in Spain with assigned seating. It works pretty well especially if there is a larger group that you are going with.

By: stray

stray — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:38:51 -0800

I've gone to assigned seat movie theatres in London.

Also, here in Canada, at many theatres (not movie theatres, stage theatres) seats are numbered like that.

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 09:58:19 -0800

Internet tickets here in Norway come with assigned seating, and you get to pick your seat when you book. So much better than turning up on spec.