photo by Sukaina Rajabali
Travel
34 Outdoor Cinemas To Spice Up Your Movie Night
What do Los Angeles, Ibiza, Brooklyn, the Canary Islands, Sydney, and Atlanta have in common? Besides being awesome travel destinations, they all have a Cinema Paradiso worthy of a visit. We’ve scoped out some of the best rooftop,...
photo by Sukaina Rajabali
What do Los Angeles, Ibiza, Brooklyn, the Canary Islands, Sydney, and Atlanta have in common? Besides being awesome travel destinations, they all have a Cinema Paradiso worthy of a visit. We’ve scoped out some of the best rooftop, beachside and garden hideaways for viewing films in the great outdoors and we’re bringing them straight to you. From retro drive-ins to luxury resorts, we’ve got a bit of every cinema viewing style. Paradise included, of course!
Reporter: Alyssa Brown | Location: Soneva Jani
Reporter: Alyssa Brown | Location: Soneva Jani
With one of London’s few outdoor swimming pools, Brockwell Lido hosts a screening of Jaws poolside to kick off the summer season. That’s one film that’s sure to get you in the mood for a dip in the pool but not so much in the ocean.
This Maldives resort screens the classics at their outdoor cinema. Gaze up at the stars while sipping on vino at this luxury cinematic experience, just before nodding off in your overwater villa room.
A cozy lounge zone with hammocks and low-lying daybeds, the Sandbox is a hidden nook just beside the pool at the Miami Beach Edition Hotel. Rent out this little spot for privacy and to screen a film of your own choice.
Looking for something chill to do at night during a trip to the Canary Islands? Check out the Rooftop Biosfera’s outdoor cinema with gorgeous views of the seas and stars.
A modernist motel in San Diego, The Pearl showcases movies on a big projector by the pool. Go for a dip and get your movie on simultaneously.
Paradise is only such if it’s totally remote, and this Oman resort is certainly that. Set in an indigenous village overlooking Zighy Bay and the Hajar Mountains, this is one of those unforgettable spots that just so happen to also offer an outdoor cinema.
With pop-up cinema events at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Cinespia’s take on the outdoor film showcase is pretty epic and usually draws a huge crowd. The night starts and ends with a DJ set, and guests can BYO all their own blankets, seats, wine and beer.
London’s best rooftop cinema, One New Change, hosts a handful of cinema events throughout summer. The views of St. Paul’s Cathedral can’t be beat and it’s BYO blankets around here.
Head on out to Sydney’s harbor for gourmet food, regional wines and a movie screening with a view of the skyline and Opera House. St. George Open Air Cinema runs every day for about six weeks starting in January.
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Universal Studios Backlot
Los Angeles, CA
The Backlot at Universal Studios is a rad little enclave of movie sets and faux city streets that any Hollywood aficionado should know about. Plus, it's rentable for private events and film screenings. Imagine a cinema of your very own on the streets of Universal Studios? Pretty rad.
Perched on the rocks overlooking the Sol D’en Serra Bay, this Ibiza restaurant does movie nights like nowhere else in the world. Surrounded by cliffs along the seashore, this spot offers guests delicious vino and big, cozy beanbags for lounging. Paradise? Absolutely.
San Francisco’s Dolores Park is usually packed to the brim for these Saturday night film screenings. A free outdoor event, this summer’s lineup includes favorites like The Breakfast Club, La La Land and The Graduate.
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Settle into a comfy deck chair with headphones and a bag of buttery popcorn at any of the Rooftop Cinema Club screenings. Showcasing cult, classic and new release movies, this rooftop club is a DTLA fave.
The Hot Tub Cinema is a step beyond just outdoor film screenings. Yep, there are hot tubs too. Check these guys out in New York, London, Ibiza and more.
Set on Coconut Beach in the Bahamas, guests of Musha Cay resort can lounge in this outdoor movie theater while classics light up the big screen. Surrounded by sand, sea and tiki torches, this is a comfy little spot to take in a film.
The Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood, CA
Photo by Robert Gauthier
Imagine watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert? Well, you can do just that at the grand Hollywood Bowl. Check out the season’s best offerings from June through September.
An island getaway along Vietnam’s untouched archipelago, Six Sense Con Dao has a whole outdoor cinema deck overlooking the sea. Cozy on up to the hammock seats for nightly viewings.
A rooftop cinema in Melbourne’s CBD, flicks shown here include everything from rom coms to indie to action. Look forward to a full bar and gorgeous view of the Melbs skyline.
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For 66 days, starting on June 30th, the 27th Annual Vienna Film Festival will begin its run. In collaboration with various musicians, the series combines concert and film at its outdoor site of the iconic Rathausplatz.
New Yorkers are always game for a visit to a rooftop bar in the summertime and this one just happens to include a movie screening too. Pop a bottle of champagne and grab the popcorn!
Street Food Cinema pops up events in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego that combine your two favorite things: street food and outdoor movie screenings. Check out the calendar to see where to catch Dirty Dancing and The Lost Boys next!
Amsterdam celebrates open-air cinema season from July through September each year. Look for pop-up theaters on city beaches, parks and squares and be sure to bring your own blanket.
Another classic drive-in theater, this one in Iowa, Blue Grass is known for being family-friendly. Check out the entourage package for film fanatic kiddos looking to throw a birthday bash with their buds.
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From the Durbanville Wine Valley’s Hillcrest Quarry to the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town, these cinematic events pop up in various South African locations. Outdoor films are shown throughout the summer months, starting in November.
The Graham & Co
Phoenicia, NY
Photo by The Graham & Co
Head on up to the Catskills to check out this cute 20-room boutique hotel on a cinema night and you’re in for a real treat. With Adirondack chairs and picnic blankets on a big, grassy lawn and a canopy of stars overhead, this spot does movie projections just right.
Set right along the coral reef, this Maldives luxury resort sits in a hotbed of outdoor activity. But all that daytime exploring is sure to catch up to you and you’ll probably enjoy a wind-down at this outdoor cinema that screens all classic films.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn
Photo by Brooklyn Bridge Park
Okay, okay. Brooklyn ain’t no paradise, but this location on the East River overlooking the Manhattan skyline is a pretty awesome backdrop for a film screening. Head on over to Movies with a View every Thursday (from July through August) and hang with about 7,000 of your neighbors for an unforgettable outdoor cinema experience under the Brooklyn Bridge.
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Just like the old days, this Atlanta drive-in theater powers up the audio through the FM radio in your car. Double features are the norm and these guys show mostly new releases.
San Diego’s Waterfront Park serves as an outdoor cinema all summer long. Spend your evening under the stars gazing up at the big screen.
The Pyramids Restaurant at Wafi hosts starlit cinema nights from February through April. Set up on the rooftop garden, these Sunday night screenings are totally free.
This crew sets up 150 lounge-worthy beds in Paramatta Park every summer for open-air film screenings. So, cozy on up with a loved one and enjoy the moonlit show.
San Luis Obispo has that old school charm down to a T, so it should come as no surprise that they’d have a retro-style drive-in. Double features cost less than $10 and this spot is open come rain or shine.
The gorgeous 18th century home and gardens at Chiswick House opens up every summer for a few nights of cinema. This August they’ll be featuring Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and Notting Hill.
A fave of the luxury hotels in LA, the Mondrian's gorgeous rooftop pool and lounge zone is super cozy. They've been known to pop up a big projector and screen for rooftop movies at this spot.
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Do you know someone who owns a beautiful barn, gorgeous getaway, or rad rental home? Share this roundup and tell them to request an invitation today in order to be featured on The Venue Report.
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