Are you a movie buff? Want to enjoy a special cinematic experience? Let’s find the top spots around the world where you can enjoy the best outdoor movie experience.
Cinema lovers would watch a movie anywhere, whether it is on their laptop, phone, in movie theaters, or anywhere else. But nothing can beat the experience of watching a film in an outdoor setting with hundreds of other people. One of the best parts of summer evenings and nights is enjoying outdoor movies where you can either see the tinted sunset or the starry night in the background while you sit in your car or lie on the grass to enjoy a good movie. If you are also looking forward to enjoying a good movie in a good location, here is the list of the 20 most beautiful outdoor movie venues around the globe.
- Sun Pictures – Broome
Broome is a beautiful town in Western Australia that is located right by the sea, and people here enjoy watching movies beside the sea breeze and scenic views. Australia seems to claim the honor of having the oldest outdoor movie spots, as Sun Pictures was started back in 1916 with the initiative of a local pearler. The first movie screened here was ‘Kissing Cup’, a British Silent movie, and since then, this outdoor movie venue has survived wars, big weather events, as well as the modern age of streaming, as people still want to sit together and watch movies here. The classic barn-like setup has perfectly held up its heritage and survival for 110 years.
- The Grounds – Hong Kong
Just like the name suggests, this outdoor movie venue allows watching movies on the ground and is considered to be one of the most popular places in Hong Kong. In the backdrop, you can see the iconic skyline of the city. This place was built with the idea of ‘new normal’ social distancing at the time of COVID 19. It offered 100 socially distanced private pods where up to four people can sit together. Featuring modern technology, amenities, and fun options, people can watch a movie and get food to their pods directly, along with boozy beverages.
- Moonflicks – The United Kingdom
Chester Cathedral is part of history, and it has been standing in northwest England for a long time. But what made this place more famous is the Moonflick movie screening ground on the green corner, where you can enjoy movies amidst nature. There is a 30-foot-long screen for movies in the Cathedral garden where hundreds of people gather every summer to enjoy some of the best stable movies for outdoor screening, such as ‘A Star Is Born’, ‘A Complete Unknown’, and the list goes on. Sound Pollution is not tolerated in the UK, and so, you will enjoy the movie in wireless headsets.
- Cinemamovie San Polo – Venice
Campo San Polo is the second biggest public square in Venice, which is an integral part of the colorful history of the place. This place also hosts an open-air movie screening, which was initially launched by the local government to attract more people with cultural events. There are 200 seats here for the public, and watching ‘Mooraker’ might be the best experience here. However, you are mostly going to catch an animation, comedy, or even an occasional doc here. The organizers of this venue also screen the movie through a van to make sure it can reach the far spots of the town.
- Cine Manto – Mykonos
This is a tree-shaded open-air movie screening venue where you can get a blended experience of part botanic and part movie. The garden is absolutely beautiful with big trees and a giant screen. And guess what? You can also find more than 20 cats and a pond full of koi carp who are also movie lovers. However, the 200-year-old cactus seems to steal the show. There are 180 seats in the place, and it comes with a decent arrangement with a terrace restaurant. Sounds like a good spot, doesn’t it?
- Kreuzberg Open-Air Cinema – Berlin
Kreuzberg is an important part of German History where all the military hospitals and squatters were situated back in the 70s. Now, this place has turned into an ultra-hip venue where people gather for movie nights, as it is a modern art space now. The culture of outdoor movies is quite popular in Germany and other European countries, and ‘freiluftkino’ started in Berlin in the 80s. The city now has more than 12 areas for open –air movie screening with green grass, big trees, giant screens, and a huge seating arrangement. Berlin will definitely give the grandest experience of all.
- Open Air Cinema Kamari – Santorini
The land of Sophocles and Aristophanes seems to embrace outdoor cinemas. The idea of alfresco movies is well enjoyed by the people of Santorini and people who come to visit there. The practice of open-air movie screening started back in 1920 here, when there were only silent movies with live audio sections. This garden cinema venue has been hosting proper movie screenings since 1987, and the roster includes both Italian and American movies. It is the perfect place to enjoy movies with your friends or loved ones, along with sexy mood lighting and daiquiris and mojitos, which make the movie night even more enjoyable.
- Somerville Auditorium – Perth
Have you ever watched a movie in the woods? Those who fancy a film in the forest must go to the Somerville Auditorium in Perth, which gained much attention from global movie lovers. The gorgeous movie venue is part of the University of Western Australia, and it has been screening movies since 1953. The cathedral pine trees here were planted for entertainment purposes, and it turned out to be successful. The trees were planted in 1927 for outdoor entertainment, and here we are, almost a century later, where people hit the spot between November and April, summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Cinema Lliure a la Platja – Catalonia
Catalonia is one of the most beautiful European regions, which is also an art hub, considering its popularity in movies. The open-air screening on the beach gathers a lot of people here, and there is also lore based on its inception. The warm Costa Brava air says that Ava Gardner shot the movie Pandora and the Flying Dutchman here, and she fell in love with the place as well as bullfighter Mario Cabré. In order to shoot the movie with convenience, they established a statue of the Hollywood star that also gazes upon the very beach she liked. Currently, this is the venue for Cinema Lliure, where all movies are screened, and people can watch them for free.
- Red Rocks Amphitheater – Colorado
The Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado is one of the most famous open-air venues in America, and it is globally revered for its iconic location and setting. Not just movies but many music fests and live gigs are also held here as people enjoy watching the shows with the backdrop of the red rocks and distant green valleys. It is mainly held up by two giant boulders, namely Creation Rock and Ship Rock. The red sandstone shines magically during the golden hour, and it can be one of the best spots to enjoy your evenings.
- Sala Montjuïc – Barcelona
Barcelona is not all about football, as it also embraces a hefty amount of art and movies. This unique open-air movie screening spot attracts a lot of people from around the country, as here you can watch the movie on the giant walls of 17th-century Montjuïc Castle. The Castle is situated in one of the top mountains in Barcelona. You can sit on the grass with your picnic kit, or you can rent a hammock and get food from the local stalls. It is a new location, and you can expect to watch recent movies. Before each movie is screened, a small concert takes place on stage to keep things engaging.
- Rooftop Film Club – London
Everything seems a bit fancy about London, and so is the Rooftop Film Club that gathers all the movie buffs in the city. If you are willing to enjoy a movie with the sun setting in the backdrop of the city, this venue can be perfect with its CinemaScope-like experience. The screening takes place on the roof of Peckham’s Bussey Building. There are deckchairs and blankets to offer a cozy comfort ambiance for the movie lovers, and this place has a diversified roster that includes both classic movies and modern marvel flicks.
- Adventure Cinema at Lowther Castle – Cumbria
There are various open-air movie events in the UK that take place during the summer only, and you can enjoy such a temporary movie screening event at the Lowther Castle in Cumbria. The castle itself is massive and beautiful, which also comes with a lawn and garden-like area. This stunning country location in the Lake District seems to be the perfect place for movie lovers to enjoy movies on the esplanade. Here, you can enjoy some of the best classic flicks of all time that are not screened in many theaters.
- Fort Mason Flicks – San Francisco
The former army base of Fort Mason is now a place for the flicks and perhaps the ideal location for watching movies like Vertigo or The Rock. This inspired drive-in location offers a great panoramic view across the bay. On the right side, you will find Alcatraz, and on the left, there is the Golden Gate Bridge. The beautiful location often makes it difficult, as it will distract you from the movie plot. In the driveway, you will also find food trucks parked up; no worries about snacks. It is the best place to watch movies like ‘Casablanca’, ‘Happy Feet’, ‘So I Married An Axe Murderer’, and many others.
- Fortress Cinema – Kosovo
There are no cheap seats on the battlements of Prizren’s medieval fortress, where DokuFest welcomes an international crowd for a week of impactful docs and shorts every August. The festival was originally set up by a group of friends back in 2003, but a shout-out also has to go to whichever member of the Byzantium Empire designed a spot for outdoor cinema quite this dreamy. Kino Kalaja or ‘Fortress Cinema’ is purposefully built for movie lovers, and after the movie ends, you can head out for after-parties while going down the hill.
- Piazza Grande – Locarno
Every August, the Locarno Film Festival descends on this Italian-Swiss lakeside town. Since the 1970s, one of the film festival’s highlights has been the daily evening screening in the enormous Piazza Grande of one of the films playing in the festival. The screen is huge, the square is enormous, and above is the clear, twinkling night sky. The square can accommodate up to 8000 and has played host to films including ‘I’, ‘Daniel Blake’, ‘The Lives of Others and Bend It Like Beckham’. Watching them with such a massive, passionate crowd is a lingering experience.
- Amante – Ibiza
Ibiza isn’t just about club-heads and party lovers in San Antonio. Sometimes, they’ll head down to this secluded cove on the island’s east coast to recover with an unimaginably chilled movie night at this beach restaurant. The 40-seat screen is a relative rarity on the island, and it is wildly popular with romantic types looking for arguably the definitive movie date night. Here, you can enjoy movies like ‘Saturday Night Fever’, ‘Almost Famous’, and ‘Point Break’.
- Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles
An evening at the Hollywood Bowl is the most enchanting experience in LA, and the century-old amphitheatre’s strength lies in its live-scored movies. For a starting price less than a multiplex ticket. You can park yourself on a bench seat and bawl your eyes out as John Williams’s E.T. score crescendos. The maestro’s compositions factor heavily into the LA Philharmonic and the resident Hollywood Bowl Orchestra’s repertoire, while Williams himself has often conducted concerts here.
- Arene de Pula – Croatia
Surely someone has screened Gladiator in this Roman amphitheatre in northwest Croatia? If not, they’re missing a trick. Pula was once a major Roman port, and the highlight of the modern city’s copious ruins is this Colosseum-like structure, one of the best preserved in the world, where long ago crowds would cheer at the blood, gore, and terror of gladiatorial combat. Nowadays, they get their kicks from the big screen when the annual Pula Film Festival sets up stall in the arena. It’s an outdoor cinema, the like of which its original creators could simply not imagine.
