Moonlight Flicks. Image courtesy of Storyhouse.

Outdoor Cinema

Creative Tourist

Pop-up outdoor cinemas are nothing new. From screens under flyovers and London’s Secret Cinema to others that hunker down for a night at canal-side car parks, the trend for one-off film screenings has been chuntering on, cinematically-speaking, for a fair while. Here’s our pick of the best outdoor cinema in the North – pack popcorn, a torch and someone to grab during the scary bits.

Here are our picks

  • 1. Tatton Park

    Percy the Park Keeper - The Secret Path in the Gardens, Tatton Park

    Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN - Visit now

    Occupying over 1,000 acres of land in Cheshire, the Tatton Park estate could more properly be called a pleasure garden. Much like the outdoor spaces used for entertainment that were popular in the 18th century, Tatton offers a range of diversions across its vast grounds – including a wide range of screenings over the summer.

  • 2. Dunham Massey

    Dunham Massey
    National Trust

    Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, WA14 4SJ - Visit now

    QUAD’s popular Summer Nights Outdoor Film Festival comes to Dunham Massey this summer. Spend a magical evening under the stars with classic and contemporary films in a spectacular setting.

  • 3. Lowther Castle and Gardens

    Lowther Castle and Gardens
    Image courtesy of Lowther Castle & Gardens

    Lowther Castle and Gardens, Lowther Castle and Gardens, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2HH - Visit now

    Lowther Castle in Cumbria is pure fairytale picturebook: 200 years old, standing in rolling pastoral landscape and at the head of the little known but idyllic Lowther Valley. It’s also one of Picnic Cinema’s main venues for their annual outdoor screenings.

  • 4. Muncaster Castle

    Image courtesy of Muncaster Castle

    Muncaster Castle, Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1RQ - Visit now

    A historic – and supposedly haunted – castle in Cumbria, which also plays host to Picnic Cinema events annually.