Latest news with #outdoorcinema
Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Seven of the UK's most magical open-air cinemas
Britain's love of outdoor cinema has been cemented by this summer's higher-than-usual temperatures, with screens popping up in the grounds of stately homes and swimming pools as well as in parks and hotels. Some of them encourage you to bring along picnics and blankets while others have deckchairs or beanbags, plus wood-fired pizza and bars. And you'll be able to experience everything from sing-a-long musical classics to arthouse movies, all of which will be partnered by a very British sense of jeopardy when it comes to the weather forecast. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Each summer, this hotel puts up a 13ft cinema screen in its garden on the banks of the River Tay, showing films from now until mid-August (£10). Deckchairs are provided alongside Bluetooth headphones. The menu offers pizzas cooked to order, including one with local venison, and loaded fries. Upcoming films include Life of Pi, Being John Malkovich, Inside Out and When Harry Met Sally, while the gentle murmur of the river adds its own soundtrack. Films are open to all and, should you wish to stay, there are seven bedrooms, all decorated with a pleasing Scandi-Scottish charm. Details B&B doubles from £210 ( Many National Trust properties have expansive lawns that lend themselves to open-air events. The Vyne, a 16th-century mansion near Basingstoke, complete with a Tudor chapel, classical porticos and a long gallery, is one of them. This summer, there will be film screenings between July 31 and August 4, including Dirty Dancing, Bridget Jones's Diary and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and guests are welcome to bring their own picnics and chairs (£17; Very nearly as venerable as the Vyne, the Tylney Hall hotel is a 20-minute drive away and has indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a wood-panelled restaurant serving traditional, seasonal British B&B doubles from £235 ( The 19th-century Grosvenor Park, in the centre of Chester, features an open-air cinema each summer. The roster of films includes Pretty Woman, Mamma Mia!, True Romance and Wicked and tickets include Bluetooth headphones (£13.50; You can bring your own seating or pay extra for a deckchair. Be savvy and pre-order a wood-fired pizza and retire later to the Boathouse and Riverside Rooms, just next to the park and on the River Dee. It's a great base for exploring Chester's Roman remains and medieval B&B doubles from £154 ( As part of Bradford's City of Culture programming this year, the events organisation Rumpus is organising a series of outdoor screenings. On August 22 and 23, the 1930s Ilkley Lido will be the backdrop to Everybody's Talking about Jamie and Sexy Beast, while Thornton Viaduct will show Grand Budapest Hotel on September 13, all with surprise immersive elements that aim to enhance the experience (£10; A ten-minute drive away from the lido in the village of Ben Rhydding, the Wheatley Arms is a pleasant spot to retreat to B&B doubles from £96 ( • Revealed: 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025 Every August, Norwich's Cinema City — part of the Picturehouse group — puts on a series of outdoor screenings in the Plantation Gardens (£18.85; The gardens, with gothic follies and serpentine paths, were created in the 1850s from a disused quarry and are a short walk from the city centre. This year's plein-air offerings include the original pilot of Twin Peaks, and the Talking Heads concert Stop Making Sense as well as the outdoor cinema favourite Dirty Dancing. St Giles House, a family-run hotel only a ten-minute walk away, has recently expanded with a new restaurant and a small spa with five treatment B&B doubles from £155 ( Milford Haven's Torch Theatre runs its popular Sunset Cinema at several different venues each year but Cardigan's setting is particularly special. Next to the River Teifi, Cardigan Castle is a melange of medieval ruins, Georgian architecture and a Victorian garden. This August, Torch's programme includes Toy Story, Top Gun and Elvis (£12; shown on a big screen on a lawn within the castle grounds. Ticket holders can bring their own picnic blankets and food. The 12-bedroom Albion hotel, in a handsome stone former warehouse filled with traditional Welsh furnishings, is the coolest place to stay in B&B doubles from £185 ( • 18 of the most beautiful places in England Erudite offerings are matched by the brutalist surroundings of London's most famous post-war housing development at the Barbican's outdoor film festival, running from August 20-31. Surrounded by the city's tower blocks, filmgoers can watch the likes of Palme d'Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives from Thailand and Wes Anderson's stop-go animation Fantastic Mr Fox in the Sculpture court (£18; There are food trucks and drinks available from the Conservatory Bar. The newly opened Montcalm Brewery Hotel, in an 18th-century building that once belong to Whitbread, is just around the corner if you want to make a night of B&B doubles from £200 ( Have we missed your favourite? Please share your recommendations in the comments below
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I found a giant blow-up outdoor cinema screen from Aldi for a bargain – it's great for summer movies & footie matches
A SHOPPER has found the perfect way to turn your garden into an at-home 'Glastonbury' or outdoor cinema - and it's all thanks to an Aldi item. The bargain supermarket is currently selling an Inflatable Movie Screen, which looks perfect for watching films outdoors over summer. 5 5 5 It could also be used to screen sporting games with friends and family. The blow-up device is currently being sold for £59.99 and is easy to install. A shopper shared how they had popped into their local Aldi for milk and bread rolls and walked away with the fun purchase. Taking to the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, they shared snaps of the movie screen in their garden. They wrote: 'Don't be fooled by the tiny box this comes in. 'Trust me these are massive if you're blonde like me & old skool the measurements on the box meant nothing. 'So I thought as it;s wet outside I'd put it up indoors to see how big it is. 'You could use this at Glastonbury its that fudging big! '£59.99 in Aldi today, I only went in for milk & bread rolls.' Many people were impressed by the purchase and rushed the comments to give their view. Aldi is selling a home organizing essential for just $29.99 – and it's $46 cheaper than the Home Depot version One said: 'I need this.' Another added: 'Should get one for camping.' And a third commented: ' Im hoping no one buys these and then I can get 1 really cheap in the sale! Me an hubby have a plan! 'Go camping set it up with a zombie film on in the woods, wait for ppl to walk past.' SCREEN DEAL To go with this screen, for a limited time, you can snap up the Yoton Mini Projector, originally priced at £56.99, on sale for just £34.39. Amazon is always a go-to spot for grabbing affordable tech, and this mini projector is no exception. Right now, it's sitting pretty at number two on Amazon's best-selling projectors list, and it's easy to see why. The Yoton Mini Projector is currently on sale for just £34.39, down from its usual £56.99 price tag. While it's already marked down to £42.99, you can knock off even more thanks to a generous 20% coupon. But don't let the grass grow, this deal disappears after June 19th, so time's ticking if you want to bag it at this price. With over 1,000 units sold in the past month, it's clear that shoppers are loving this little gadget. It's hardly surprising, though, with summer here, the long days and warm evenings have everyone looking for ways to make the most of the season. IF you've ever shopped in Aldi or Lidl then you'll probably have experienced its ultra-fast checkout staff. Aldi's speedy reputation is no mistake, in fact, the supermarket claims that its tills are 40 per cent quicker than rivals. It's all part of Aldi's plan to be as efficient as possible - and this, the budget shop claims, helps keep costs low for shoppers. Efficient barcodes on packaging means staff are able to scan items as quickly as possible, with the majority of products having multiple barcodes to speed up the process. It also uses 'shelf-ready' packaging which keeps costs low when it comes to replenishing stock.
The Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Aldi launches new garden range TODAY – including £9.99 air lounger & ‘ultimate centrepiece' for summer parties
ALDI turns up the heat this summer with a new garden range landing in stores today. The line-up features a £9.99 air lounger for effortless relaxation and a £59.99 inflatable movie screen to bring the big screen to your back garden. Available nationwide from Thursday, the Specialbuys collection also includes a £39.99 HD LED projector—ideal for outdoor gatherings and UEFA Women's EURO 2025 matchdays. 'As excitement mounts for the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, Aldi is helping fans get matchday ready with the ultimate viewing party line-up,' the retailer announced. The inflatable movie screen stretches three metres wide and comes with built-in blowers, fans, and all the accessories needed for quick setup. It's designed to self-inflate in minutes, with easy deflation and a carry case included for simple storage when not in use. Aldi describes the screen as 'the ultimate centrepiece for any summer viewing party', with a durable design that makes it ideal for repeated use. Whether you're watching the big game, a blockbuster film or enjoying a family night under the stars, it's made to bring people together. Paired with the £39.99 HD LED projector – also hitting shelves today – customers can create a full outdoor cinema experience in their own back garden without breaking the bank. For those who prefer lounging in the sun, Aldi has also introduced the CRANE Air Lounger at just £9.99. Designed to be inflated without a pump, it's lightweight, portable and perfect for relaxing anywhere – from picnics and festivals to camping trips and garden parties. To inflate, simply scoop air into the lounger by dragging it back and forth through the air, roll over the opening to trap the air inside, and secure it with the buckle. My garden was looking so old and the patio was broken - now it's a lush oasis and people can't believe how little I spent It supports up to 150kg and is available in blue or grey, each with its own handy carry bag. This latest drop follows Aldi's recent hit with its Inflatable Ice Bath, which went viral on social media last month. The supermarket continues to tap into the growing demand for fun, low-cost outdoor products that make the most of summer. Other recent garden favourites from Aldi include the Garden Bright Solar Magnolia and Cherry Blossom Trees (£19.99), which light up beautifully at night with 100 LEDs, and the Foldable Paddling Pool (£49.99), which fans have called 'the best paddling pool' for its generous size and speedy setup. Customers have also praised Aldi's £4.99 basket stake for being 'very sturdy' and perfect for hanging flower baskets and lanterns. And the £24.99 Garden Design String Chair, a stylish dupe of a designer piece, has also turned heads thanks to its chic looks and bargain price. Over at B&M, garden lovers have snapped up the Wavy Mini Garden Wall Mirror for just £1 – a clever hack to make smaller spaces feel bigger and brighter. The retailer's bargain olive trees (£12.50) and Red Oriental Lilies (£4.50) have also drawn praise for adding instant colour and class to patios and balconies. 3
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Laser Outdoor Cinema Bundle: Australian review
There's something nice about watching a movie on a giant screen in the great outdoors. Gathered together with family and friends, a picnic blanket, a few camping chairs, a glass of wine or a beer and a picture the whole family can watch, it's a good way to spend a couple of hours. We have good friends who make a habit of having a movie in the backyard. They bring out the projector, pin up a white sheet and plug in a bluetooth speaker and enjoy the experience together. As a family of seven, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than going to the cinema. My initial experience with the Laser Outdoor Cinema Bundle though, to be honest, was not quite so special. I first pulled it out during a hot night with my wife wondering what contraption I was reviewing this time. Putting up the massive 144 inch inflatable screen was simple. You just lay it out on the grass and turn on the electric air pump. I got my son to help me with the rope tie downs to ensure the screen didn't blow away. Hammering in the pets, it was like we were camping again. A bonding moment, almost. The Full HD (1080P) projector can connect with via HDMI to various devices to allow you to stream videos, watch music video or even use it for outdoor gaming. It comes with a Laser bluetooth soundbar which can also be directly connected using the 3.5mm audio cable. One of the tricks to the set up is ensuring you have the projector on a flat, stable surface (like a table) and that it is positioned a suitable distance from the screen. The further you position the projector, the larger the screen image, although brightness can decrease accordingly. Like any projector, the darker the environment the better, so if you have neighbours with big lights in the backyard that can effect your viewing quality. Our backyard backs onto a farm, so it was perfect. Once I'd set up, Queensland's mosquitoes moved in, so it's also a good idea to have some repellent on hand. For a bundle that can now be bought for about $280, down from the original $400, the quality is actually pretty good. On Amazon, the outdoor cinema is given a 4.4 out of 5 stars review while those buying it from Big W have given it mixed reviews. Some love it, one complained about compatibility issues with MP4 formats on a flash drive, while others said the bluetooth speaker was a bit average. After being hit by torrential rain the night after we set ours up, I was wondering whether it would still be working the next day. I was pleasantly surprised that after letting the deflated big screen dry out, it was fine and inflated again fine the next day. We gave it to friends who also gave it a whirl and they really loved it. Their son and his girlfriend even enjoyed a movie on it for Valentine's Day. While it can go to 144 inches, Laser recommends a screen size of 80 to 100 for good image quality and brightness. For the cost, the Laser Outdoor Cinema Bundle is a good option for camping, kids birthday parties or just creating great family memories in the backyard.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
When Watching These Films at Cannes, Feel Free to Put Your Feet in the Sand
On a warm afternoon in late April, La Croisette hummed with life. Families pushed strollers along the boardwalk, children trailed behind with dripping ice cream cones, and tourists posed for selfies silhouetted against the Mediterranean. At Plage Macé, a centrally-located public beach, people tanned, played volleyball and went for a dip. For the next two weeks, Plage Macé has been transformed into an outdoor theater, outfitted with a massive movie screen — nearly 80 feet by 20 feet — and an elaborate sound system, with 600 deck chairs available on a first-come-first-served basis. This is Cinéma de la Plage, the Cannes Film Festival's free program of nightly film screenings. At a film festival notorious for its exclusivity, this is one event where everyone is welcome, no matter who they are — or how they are dressed. 'Cinéma de la Plage is evidence that the Cannes Film Festival never forgets it has to remain a cultural and popular event,' Thierry Frémaux, the festival's artistic director, explained in an email. Camilla Amelotti works at a children's attraction, Les P'tits Bateaux (The Li'l Boats), directly in front of Plage Macé. In between selling souvenir magnets and handing out remote controls for miniature yachts, she described Cinéma de la Plage as an accessible alternative to the festival's indoor screenings, especially for film-loving locals. 'It's really nice,' said Amelotti, 28. 'You just have to have time to go and the patience to wait to get in.' She added that for many people who work in the tourism industry, the film festival is the busiest time of year. Ilona el-Hasnaoui, 26, has a front-row seat to Cinéma de la Plage from behind the counter of Kiosque 9 Bis, a gleaming white food stand with a turquoise awning situated directly in front of Plage Macé. Hasnaoui is the store's manager and often stays until closing time — 1 a.m. during the festival — so she steals glances at the screen while serving sandwiches and crepes. She said that business picked up during the nightly screenings. 'People can see the movie from here,' she said, indicating the space directly in front of her kiosk. 'They get their food here and they sit behind the railing,' she said, noting that no food or beverages were allowed on the beach during the films and that deck chairs were a precious commodity. 'There are many, many people. If you want a seat, you need to wait.' Cinéma de la Plage is officially part of Cannes Classics, the festival section devoted to film history that was started in the early 2000s. Frémaux, who has worked at Cannes since 1999 and became festival director in 2007, said his desire to inaugurate a free, outdoor program stemmed from personal experience. 'When I was just a festivalgoer, I wasn't always able to get into the movie theaters and I thought it would be a good idea if the festival offered something completely different to the public, especially in the evenings,' he said. 'When I took over, I suggested we hold a daily event on the beach.' Given the festival's unique location on the French Riviera, it may seem hard to believe that movies on the beach were never a major part of the event during its first 50 years. (Frémaux pointed to some earlier one-off events, including an apocryphal midnight screening of Hans-Jürgen Syberberg's 'Parsifal,' a four-hour-and-fifteen-minute film version of Richard Wagner's opera, which ended with breakfast on the beach at dawn.) While classics, often presented in fresh restorations, dominated the early Cinéma de la Plage programs, these days the lineup also includes cult and contemporary offerings, as well as sneak previews of films about to hit French cinemas and even the occasional world premiere. Because this is Cannes and a high percentage of the world's major filmmakers congregate here during festival time, it's not uncommon for directors to pop over to present their films if they're programmed in Cinéma de la Plage. Frémaux reminisced about Quentin Tarantino showing up with Uma Thurman to introduce a 35-millimeter print of 'Pulp Fiction' in 2014, and Jackie Chan arriving by boat for a screening of his 1982 kung fu classic 'Project A' for its 40th anniversary in 2012. 'And there was Agnès Varda, who in the rain convinced the audience to stay by talking to them for several minutes before the film,' he said of the French director's 'One Sings, the Other Doesn't,' which was screened during the memorably wet 2018 edition of the festival. Beyond films, Cinéma de la Plage has also hosted concerts, dance parties and even karaoke. This year's lineup features films by John Woo, Nanni Moretti and Terrence Malick; a new restoration of King Vidor's 1946 western 'Duel in the Sun' undertaken by Martin Scorsese; and a new documentary about Brigitte Bardot. 'Cinéma de la Plage is a brilliant idea, brilliantly executed,' said Peter Bradshaw, the chief film critic for The Guardian, who has attended the Cannes Film Festival since 1999. 'And I think it's a very good thing for Cannes to do,' he added, 'because Cannes is sometimes criticized for being too closed off and elitist.' And while there is undeniable excitement whenever a world premiere takes place at Plage Macé (as with 'F9,' the ninth film in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, in 2021) Cinéma de la Plage provides especially inspiring conditions for seeing a classic foreign or art house film. 'On occasion you can get to see '8½' at some repertory movie theater, but it's a rare thing to see it on the biggest possible screen,' Bradshaw said, referring to the 1963 Federico Fellini film, which screened here on the beach in 2014. (He fondly recalled seeing 'Jaws' — the ultimate beach movie — on Plage Macé in 2013). While accredited journalists and film industry members — including those who find themselves locked out of other festival screenings — turn up at Cinéma de la Plage, the program is particularly valuable for locals who have comparatively few opportunities to see other films at the festival. (No tickets are sold to any of the festival screenings, which require hard-to-come-by invitations for the public. A limited number of these are made available to Cannes residents). 'It's a chance for the festival to reach out to the town, to reach out to the Côte d'Azur generally,' Bradshaw said. Beyond all that, however, Cinéma de la Plage also provides a striking visual. The image of its majestic screen, silhouetted against the sea and sky, has become an indelible part of the festival's image. 'It looks so great as a spectacle in itself, on the beach, especially as night falls,' Bradshaw said. 'Even if you're not going to a movie there and just walking up and down the Croisette, which is a signature experience of being at Cannes.' Plage Macé is only three hundred yards from the red carpet. And yet, with the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, you might as well be light-years away from the glamour, adrenaline and stress that are otherwise inescapable at the event. Leaning back in your deck chair, this can feel like the best seat at the festival — in the sand, under the stars. 'Of course, Cannes is the biggest festival in the world, of course there's a market, there's media pressure, the competition, the awards,' Frémaux said. 'But for everyone,' he added, 'going to the beach is a way of not forgetting that, in essence, cinema is all about a silver screen, a crowd and a film.'
