Julia Bottoms is armed with woollen blanket, foldy chair and supermarket popcorn to face a marathon month of outdoor film screenings around Wales this summer…
Sunset Cinema
Based between Cardiff and Somerset, Sunset Cinema offers a unique outdoor cinema experience: screenings only commence when light levels allow, synchronising your movie night with the setting of the sun.
Catch Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody under the stars on Sat 10 Aug at Twr Y Felin Hotel in St Davids (7pm, tickets £10; info: here). On Sat 24 Aug at Pembrokeshire Sunflower Farm near Cardigan, watch Top Gun: Maverick (7pm, £10; info: here) – food and drink stalls will also be available onsite, and you can pick sunflowers at the cost of £1 per flower.
To round off the month, Sunset Cinema are at Pembroke Castle with nostalgic classics Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone on Fri 30 Aug (7pm, £10; info: here) and Dirty Dancing on Sat 31 Aug (7pm, £10; info: here). Oh, and the show goes on even if it rains, so come prepared!
Info: sunsetcinemacompany.co.uk
Adventure Cinema
Enjoy screenings of movies including Bridget Jones’ Diary (Thurs 1 Aug), Toy Story (Fri 2) and Sing (Sun 4), in Coopers Field overlooking Cardiff Castle. Nestled in the heart of Cardiff, Bute Park’s scenic backdrop provides the perfect ambience for some drive-in nostalgia, with hot food and snacks available as well as an onsite bar. Bring blankets, low-back chairs and a picnic for the ultimate experience (tickets: £15.50/£9.50 under-12s/£22.50 premium).
Info: adventurecinema.co.uk
Wonder Cinema
What makes Wonder Cinema different is that their outdoor cinema events also feature entertainment such as fire breathers, live bands, magicians and family games, as well as food and drink, creating an open-air festival atmosphere. This month, Wonder Cinema visits Pencoed Fach Farm, Blackwood (until Sun 11 Aug); Ebbw Vale RFC (Wed 14-Fri 16); Ty Poeth Farm, Pontypool (Mon 19-Fri 23); Blaenavon Ironworks (Tue 27 + Wed 28) and the Llangewydd Arms in Bridgend (Fri 30 Aug-Sun 1 Sept).
Info: wondercinema.co.uk
Summer Nights: Grease
The National Botanic Garden Of Wales, in Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, is a place of international significance. Home to the world’s largest single-span glasshouse, this month you can relax on the green with a screening of Grease on Fri 23 Aug (tickets: £10/£6 kids; doors 7pm with the movie starting at 8pm). Spend those “summer days drifting away, to uh, oh those summer nights” by exploring the gardens during the day before the screening.
Info: here
Outdoor Cinema
Relive last year’s box office hit Barbie with an outdoor screening of the Oscar-winning film at Pembrey Country Park in Carmarthenshire on Sat 31 Aug (tickets: £12/£7 kids; doors 3.30pm with the movie starting at 4.30pm). Dress up as a band of Barbies (or Kens), or simply enjoy the spectacle in Pembrey’s idyllic green, one of Wales’ Top Visitor attractions.
Info: here
words JULIA BOTTOMS
