Open air cinemas are booming at the moment, especially in London where there are tonnes of different groups putting on evening showings of some great films. Sitting outside, as the sun sets and watching a film is a perfect way to spend an evening and it takes away the age old problem of not wanting to go to the cinema when the weather’s good. If the weather holds out this could be brilliant.
Whilst some of these open air cinemas are not accessible for less physically able people (because of being on inaccessible rooftops or taking place in the countryside, in the woods and at night!), there are many more that are accessible. We’ve had a look around and found some of the best ones in London and from some other parts of the country too:
8-21st August
£14.50 plus booking fees
The Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House has become one of the best know open air cinema experiences of the summer. For the past few years this iconic location has been showing a fortnight of movie classics and new releases.
Sadly, due to the massive popularity of the festival nearly all of the screenings, including the premiere of Richard Curtis’ new movie, have now sold out. But last time we checked there were still tickets available for a few films. Ken Loach classic Kes, Throne of Blood – Akira Kurosawa’s version of Macbeth and Oscar-winner The Red Shoes are not yet fully booked. Go to Ticketmaster to buy tickets.
We gave Somerset House 2.5 BBS Ticks when we reviewed the building in general. The only major problem with the access there were the cobblestones of the main entrance.
We spoke to Somerset House to find out about the disabled access for the Film4 Summer Screen. They told us that there will be a viewing platform where less able people can sit if they’d like to. There is no seating elsewhere so it’s important to call ahead and let their Live Events department know that you are coming after you book tickets. Fernandez & Wells, which will be open to serve food and wine, has a disabled toilet inside so that should not be a problem.
There is a hearing loop in the courtyard for people with hearing aids. They also said that they experimented a few years ago with giving screens, which relayed subtitles, to deaf people but this had not been much of a success. Apparently the technology just wasn’t up to the task yet. But it’s good to see they tried.
14th July – 21st September
£8.50 – £16.50
As the name suggests, Nomad Cinema roams around London screening movies in different venues across the capital. They put on a variety of films, from the all-time classics to guilty pleasures, in an amazing selection of outdoor and indoor locations. Starting off with School Of Rock in Ealing, they’re travelling around town showing 24 films in 11 different places including the Horniman Museum, Queen’s Park and Brompton Cemetery.
Nomad tries to create a special festival atmosphere that will “immerse you in the flavour of the film, with added elements such as music, themed decorations, quality catering and a warm friendly welcome.” All in all this should be a very enjoyable experience and 100% of their profits go to charity.
The disabled access is a little bit complicated to describe as the screenings are at various locations so each will have slight differences but Nomad have quite a bit of general information on access:
Stewards are always available to assist disabled audience members as required. If you email them beforehand at hello@whereisthenomad.com they will welcome and assist you if necessary. Outdoor screenings tend to be on grass and sometimes across park land but stewards can help you get across any rough ground if necessary.
For outdoor screenings, audience members often bring folding chairs, so position your wheelchair wherever you prefer – it’s best to arrive a little early to find the best spot! What tends to happen naturally is that people on blankets sit towards the front and those with chairs further back.
At most outdoor venues they bring in toilets and provide a disabled toilet with a ramp. At venues with existing toilet facilities they’ll check whether these include disabled facilities as a matter of course.
They do not offer subtitles on films, as it’s distracting for other audience members. They say that as a relatively new business they cannot afford to offer a hearing loop, though they have not discounted this solution for the future. They are working on the possibility of sign-assisted screenings if there is sufficient demand – so please do get in touch hello@whereisthenomad.com if you would be interested in this.
They try to identify places close to the venues where disable patrons can be dropped off and collected, though parking may not always be possible. At sites with parking, such as most English Heritage and National Trust properties, wheelchair users can be dropped close to the entrance and their car then be parked by a friend or steward [and vice versa at the end of the night]. Again, email hello@whereisthenomad.com to arrange things ahead of time.
So you need to check for specific details but they sound like they’re working to make the events as accessible as they can. Tickets available on their website.
Fri,Sat,Sun 12th July – 15th September
£8 (£60 Season Ticket)
Pop Up Screens is another company that tours London showing what is, for our money, the best selection of cult cinema classics going. Unlike Nomad they don’t use any indoor venues – the screen just pops up at a different park each weekend.
The list of films they’re showing is amazing and very diverse in genre, but not in quality. Think of The Big Lebowski, E.T., Grease, Terminator, Top Gun, Anchorman… the list of brilliant movies they’re showing goes on, with something for everyone. The majority of the screenings are in parks around South and West London although there are a few in Holborn too.
Season tickets, allowing you entry to every screening, are available at £60. If you went to see every film it would work out at £2 per film! That would be either very impressive or a little bit sad. But if you do want to go to go to quite a few this ticket might make sense.
Again, like Nomad, the access details will vary from screening to screening but they have some general terms. The parks are all wheelchair accessible, although (other than Morden Hall Park) none have car parks so disabled parking may be tricky. Disabled toilets will be provided at all of the events. If registered carers for someone attending one of the screenings contact them with the ticket number for the full price ticket they will issue them a free ticket. They welcome any other questions by email at hello@popupscreens.co.uk.
Tickets are available on their website.
4th July – 29th September
Adults £12.50-£15 Children £8-£10
The Luna Cinema is the country’s leading producer of open air cinema events. They say: “our screenings follow one simple formula: a classic film on a big screen in a beautiful or prestigious setting.” They have some fantastic films to show this year including some of last years Oscar winners like Django Unchained and Les Miserables. They have one of the best selections of films along with probably the best array of sites to watch them in.
The Luna Cinema screenings are primarily in the South East and a lot are in London, but they drift out on occasion to other Southern locations including Kent, Ascot, Surrey and even as far as Dorset. They’re showing movies in some really atmospheric and unusual venues including palaces (Hampton Court, Kensington), castles (Warwick, Leeds) and Pinewood Studios. Hardly similar to a trip to the multiplex. Jaws at the Brockwell Lido sounds unmissable!
Generally, they do have good disabled access but they don’t particularly seem to plan for disabled visitors unless you warn them that you’re coming. They say that if you need disabled toilet facilities then you need to contact them before the event. Hopefully they can sort them out if you need them! If you require subtitles you can inform them in advance too.
All of the sites have wheelchair access, but they ask that people inform them in advance if they require wheelchair entry and exit to ensure they are looked after (starting to see a pattern?). Hearing impaired customers wanting to book a disabled access with carer ticket should contact info@thelunacinema and they can book tickets by email.
Tickets and the full schedule are available online.
Every Thursday until 12th September
Free – £6 for double deckchair ticket
Nestled by Manchester’s newest pop-up bars, IN Bloom and The Long Bar at Spinningfields, Screenfields is a weekly outdoor cinema event. Now in its fifth year, Screenfields is the open air cinema that lets you decide what to watch.
Each week the audience gets to vote for what film they want to see. Screenfields Weekly ‘Flick Picks’ are released every Friday. One film will be a favourite played in previous years at Screenfields, and the other will be a film that’s new to their big screen. You decide which one plays. If the weather forecast is good enough, voting will open every Wednesday at 9am on their Facebook page. The winning film will be announced at 5.30pm on Wednesday evenings. The film is then on a 7pm the next day.
Unlike all of the other open air cinemas, if it rains at Screenfields the film will be postponed until the next week. So if the weather is bad there will be nothing to watch. This might be preferable to an evening spent in the rain and also means you don’t have to book tickets in advance. Prices vary depending on where you sit and whether you want a deckchair.
The screen is in the central square of the Spinningfields area which is wheelchair accessible. There is also access to disabled toilets on the site. There is not however a hearing loop or subtitle system available.
1st, 15th and 29th August
Free
Throughout the summer, Swansea’s Castle Square is going to have a big screen put up in it. Mostly, this is going to be used to show events like Wimbledon, The Proms and a few Operas but on a couple of occasions, it is also going to show some movies.
The screen will have three days of films, showing one film, two times, on each day. The screenings are during the day, firstly shown at 1pm and then repeated at 3.30pm. It’s really something to keep the kids busy but the films (Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 3 and The Goonies) should be fun for everyone.
The screen is in one of the city’s central squares so it is, as you’d expect, flat and wheelchair accessible. It’s fairly low-key which on the positive side means it’s free but also means that there may not be any toilets of any description, let alone disabled toilets. There are likely to be some nearby.
30th July – 26th August
Free
Brighton’s Big Screen is going to be showing some great films, down by the beach this summer. It’s a great spot, the movies are good and the whole event is completely free! The Sunday Times has named it as one of the best 50 things to do at the seaside this summer.
The schedule includes Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, Les Miserables and hometown based Brighton Rock (the original version). They’ll also be adding live sports, themed weekends and special events during August 2013. Keep checking their website where they will be adding details about new events as they’re confirmed.
As well as details of the line-up they have not quite confirmed how they are going to make the area accessible. They are currently still working out what ramps they need to put in where for less able visitors but they are at least looking into it. They’ve got about a month to iron out the kinks. They will have a disabled toilet there.
Open-air Film Nights at Bristol Zoo Gardens
20th July, 3rd August and 17th August 17
£8 Adults £5 Concessions
Throughout July and August, Bristol Zoo Gardens will host a variety of open-air screenings across three evenings. Each day they have an early kids film at 5pm and a separate grown-up film at 8pm (tickets are for one of the films not the whole evening). The earlier films are all animal themed (The Lion King, A Bugs Life and Happy Feet) which should be fantastic fun to watch with all the zoo’s animals in the background. The films for grown ups are open air cinema regulars Anchorman, Ghostbusters and The Goonies (it’s hard to tell if that’s a kids movie or not). Guests are encouraged to come in fancy dress if they like. Just don’t scare the animals.
The main lawn, where the screen will be, is wheelchair accessible and there are several disabled toilets within the zoo. There are 3 disabled parking bays in the car park along with 14 dedicated spaces on College Road (about 40 metres from the zoo).
That’s all folks! We think that open air cinema is one of the great things to do this summer. It should be a brilliant evening out – we just hope it doesn’t rain! Tell us if you know of any other accessible open air cinema venues.