Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Free open-air cinemas launch in London and Edinburgh this month
Is there anything better than chilling with your friends in the sun, having a picnic and basking in the heat? Well, now there is. Just add your fave movie into the mix, and you’ve got a new summer hangout.
When you envision the cinema, you picture sitting in the dark, popcorn being crunched around you, and total silence expected for the duration. Now, however, you can add summer vibes to seeing a film – and it’s free!
Cinema business Everyman, known for their unique take on the movie experience, is bringing back their annual open-air cinema to London. This year, it’ll be on the Ghat Steps in King’s cross.
Everyman strives to redefine cinema, bringing an exciting approach to venues across the UK. You can swap your soft drink for a cheeky glass or red and get freshly made pizza served to your seat. Sounds lush, right?
So, it’s not surprising the company is here to bring you their warm and friendly atmosphere – al fresco.
And what’s tastier than pizza and wine? Well, the fact that it’s free, running from 22nd June to 6 August. Showings are spread across the day – at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7:30pm. Plus, there’s such a fab range of showings, including the Hunger Games, Romeo + Juliet and Cool Runnings. Get the gals together and settle down for a sun-soaked viewingk of The Devil Wears Prada.
It’s also un-ticketed – so turn up whenever you desire. The event, named ‘Screen on the Canal’ is expected to be a huge hit. So, try and get there early to secure a good viewing spot.
Sports fan? Everyman will be showing Wimbledon on a separate screen from 3rd to 16th July. Result!
So, grab a summer cocktail, get your friends together and enjoy.
In Scotland, the capital will soon become home to a similar event for three days from 23rd to 25th June. Square Cinema will give you the chance to watch your favourite blockbusters – both new and old – in the joy of the sun.
Choose from music-based biographical films like Elvis and Rocketman, or catch Tom Cruise doing his thing in action-packed Top Gun: Maverick. If you fancy a cult classic, Dirty Dancing is the one for you.
Catch Mean Girls on the big screen, or sing along to Encanto or Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical. Bring in your own picnic and enjoy with the whole family. If you fancy, you can even choose from a range of mouth-watering refreshments to keep you cool, with pop-up bars located in the grounds.
As with the event in London – this is totally free! Launched in 2011, the free cinema in St Andrew Square Garden was created in partnership by Essential Edinburgh and Unique Events, to bring film lovers into the city centre to celebrate the capital’s rich culture and creativity.
Listed below is the full programme of films across the three days:
More information can be found on the Square Cinema website here.