The Snowman was first shown in the UK on 26 December 1982 and has since been shown every single year on Channel 4. Although it has delighted audiences across the world, you might be forgiven for thinking that this would mean its appeal would have started to melt away.

Based on the Raymond Briggs 1978 picture book of the same name, surely it couldn’t be possible that an old-fashioned animation with no dialogue could captivate in the TikTok age, could it? In a landscape now occupied by The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Frozen and many other festive family favourites that have come along in the subsequent decades, will younger generations just... let it go? Ahem.

You may be surprised to learn that The Snowman is already the Showroom Cinema hit of Christmas 2024. Having already sold over 750 tickets and counting at the time of writing, The Snowman hits the big screen for a special weekend of screenings on 7 and 8 December.

A huge part of the appeal is that the film’s timeless score by Howard Blake will be performed live by Unite the Union Brass Band, following their spectacular performance of Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers in August. The film itself will also be preceded by a short concert of festive songs performed live by the band to get audiences well and truly into the spirit.

The Snowman has delighted generations of families and the emotional tale of a young boy and his ephemeral frozen friend strikes very deeply into our collective memories. Not just sheer nostalgia, the connection and friendship at the heart of the story, as well as the passing and remembrance of those we hold dear, is central to what many hold most dear at this time of year. This universal sentiment of love and loss remains as timeless as the wonderful craft of the filmmaking.

Whether you look forward to another year of “Walking in the Air” or find Aled Jones worse than nails on a chalkboard, there’s no denying either way that it does scream Christmas, whatever that means to you.

Tickets for The Snowman are now on sale, with limited tickets remaining for Sunday 8 December at /thesnowmanlivescore