There is a particular kind of Australian summer evening that no streaming service has ever managed to replicate. The sun is sliding down behind the trees, the grass is still warm, someone has produced a very good dip from a tote bag, and the big screen at the end of the lawn is glowing pink and purple, waiting.
Moonlight Cinema is bringing that evening back for Summer 2026/27, and this season it opens with a bang.
The Games Begin
The season opener is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, screening while the next chapter is still fresh in cinemas. Sydney kicks things off on 25 November, and by 4 December all five cities will be open. If you have been waiting for the perfect excuse to see a blockbuster on a bean bed rather than a sticky cinema seat, this is it.
The rest of the opening weeks have a film for every mood:
- Verity, a psychological thriller with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestseller. It is made for anyone who was kept guessing by The Housemaid.
- Sense and Sensibility, a fresh take on the Austen favourite, with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and a screenplay by Australian author Diana Reid.
- Practical Magic 2, The Social Reckoning, Wicker and Wild Horse 9, rounding out the new releases.
- Preview screenings of A Talent for Murder, starring Helen Mirren, on 6 December, and Cat in the Hat on 30 December.
Christmas, Served on the Grass
From 11 to 23 December, Christmas Favourites takes over. Love Actually, The Polar Express, Home Alone, Elf, The Holiday, Home Alone 2 and Arthur Christmas all get the open air treatment, and there is something new for the festive lineup too. Ebenezer is a ghost story set in Dickens’ London with Johnny Depp as Scrooge. Once school holidays begin, families can catch Disney’s Hexed on Boxing Day.
I can think of few better ways to watch Love Actually for the fifteenth time than with a rug, a cold drink and a few hundred strangers all quietly bracing for the same airport scene.
Making a Night of It
Moonlight Cinema’s General Manager, John Boero of EVT, puts it neatly: the night starts well before the movie. It begins with the journey to a beautiful parkland, the hunt for the perfect patch of grass, and the slow ritual of settling in as the sun goes down.
If you want to turn the dial up, Platinum Experience returns to Sydney and Melbourne. Two guests share a deluxe double bean bed in a prime spot with express entry and a drink each on arrival. New this season, every booking also includes a premium cinema snackbox and two blankets for when the evening cools. It is the one to book for birthdays, anniversaries and first dates that need to go well.
Prefer to keep it simple? General Admission, Connoisseur Lounge and GWM Gold Grass are all on offer, and you are always welcome to bring your own picnic.
Moonlight Cinema Summer 2026/27 season of outdoor films
25 November 2026 to 11 April 2027, with dates and film times varying by city. Gates open 90 minutes before each film.
Locations:
- Sydney: Belvedere Amphitheatre, Centennial Parklands, 25 November to 28 March
- Melbourne: Central Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, 2 December to 11 April
- Adelaide: Botanic Park, 26 November to 14 February
- Brisbane: The Amphitheatre, Roma Street Parkland, 4 December to 14 February
- Perth: May Drive Parkland, Kings Park, 3 December to 28 March
Tickets: Available at moonlight.com.au for sessions until 30 December. Choose from General Admission, Connoisseur Lounge, GWM Gold Grass or Platinum Experience (Sydney and Melbourne only). Cinebuzz members, who join for free, can access special discount pricing.
Ticket types at a glance:
- General Admission: entry to the screening. Bring a rug and your own snacks.
- Connoisseur Lounge: a guaranteed bean bed in a dedicated lounge area with a great view, plus a Connoisseur Gourmet Ice Cream during the film.
- GWM Gold Grass: prime viewing, express entry and a premium bean bed, with food and drinks ordered by QR code and delivered to you.
- Platinum Experience: a deluxe double bean bed, express entry, a drink each on arrival, a premium cinema snackbox and two blankets.
Food and drink: Every location has a kitchen and bar, with orders placed by QR code. The kitchen closes 15 minutes before the pre show starts, so order early. BYO picnic and refreshments are welcome, except BYO alcohol in Brisbane.
Dogs: Welcome at every location except Perth.
Open caption screenings: Practical Magic 2 on 26 November (Sydney), The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping on 9 December (all cities) and Love Actually on 17 December (all cities).
