Going to the cinemas in the fresh air is perhaps one of the best plans for the summer. The pleasure of watching a film is joined by the pleasure of watching it outdoors, with the warm summer breeze of Barcelona caressing our faces. Add to that the fact that many of the city’s outdoor movie theaters allow you to picnic, bring your own food or enjoy a beer while watching the movie, and the experience is a great one.
From screens in Gaudí’s works to cinemas in castle moats. The outdoor film series are a great opportunity to discover corners of the city in a different way, enjoying both the film in front of us and the environment in which we have sat down to watch it.
Open air roof-top cinema at El Palace de Barcelona
From Wednesday to Saturday and with a deck chair included, you can see some of the biggest contemporary hits such as The Marigold Hotel, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mamma Mia, You to London and Me to California and Casino Royal at the Palace Hotel.
📍 Hotel Palace Barcelona. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 668 (Urquinaona).
📅 Until September 10.
Sala Montjuïc, the cinema in the castle’s pit
One of the most recurrent and pleasant cinemas in the summer is to go to the moat of the castle of Montjuïc, which has been receiving for many years the Barcelona’s fans of open-air cinema. Commercial but eye-catching movies for the public to stretch out on the lawn with their sarongs and picnic to enjoy the movies under the moon.
Sala Montjuïc’s “Cine a la Fresca” takes place from June 30 to August 4, and features films such as As Bestas, Her, Fargo or recent hits like Everything Everywhere at Once, forming a program that is always preceded by a musical performance such as Tori Sparks Band, which opens the program on Friday, June 30 after The Triangle of Sadness. Complete Program can be consulted here.
📍 Fossar de Santa Eulàlia, Castell de Montjuïc
📅 From June 30 to August 4
Cinema fora de lloc, an open-air film festival in the squares of Barcelona
Every summer throughout the months of May, June and July, five screenings of feminist outdoor projects will take place in different squares in the districts of Ciutat Vella, Gràcia and Nou Barris.
This open-air program will screen the winning films of Cortos en femenino 2023, an annual call for short films directed by women organized by TRAMA – Coordinadora de muestras y festivales de cine, vídeo y multimedia realizados por mujeres (Coordinator of film, video and multimedia exhibitions and festivals made by women). You can consult the complete Program here.
plaça Virreina, Plaça Salvador Seguí, Plaça Sant Pere and Pati de la seu del Districte de Nou Barris.
📅 Until July 12.
Cinema lliure a la Platja, films with sand between your fingers
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes is the dream of many. Any better plan than closing a day at the beach watching a movie without having to move from your sarong? The Cinema Lliure a la Platja already makes this dream possible on the beach of Sant Sebastià, at barceloneta the park offers the opportunity to watch classic outdoor movies such as Pulp Fiction or Star Wars, and to rest when you want to gaze at the moon and the sea.
But not only you have this option, the initiative to enjoy the air of Barcelona is growing. The cycle of cinema a la fresca on the beach already extends to beaches all over Catalonia: El Prat, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Palamós, Tossa de Mar and even Mallorca, with sessions in Palma, Andratx and Pollença. The six independent and classic films that will be rotating through the screens can be seen in the event website.
platja de Sant Sebastià in Barcelona and other beaches in Catalonia and Mallorca
📅 From June 30 to August 10
Barcelona Plató, screenings at Park Güell
Perhaps one of the most beautiful cinemas in Barcelona. Park Güell becomes during the summer in a screening room to show films that have our city as the main scenario.
Access will be free of charge, but you will have to reserve a place, sooner rather than later, at the mUHBA website.
📍 Main ticket to Park Güell
📅 June to August
Pavelló Screen, architecture and cinema at the Pavelló Mies Van der Rohe
‘Pantalla Pavelló’ is the cycle of cinema a la fresca projected directly onto the travertine of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion that delves into the relationship between the built space, its limits and boundaries, and the inhabitants who reside in them, and how this relationship is accentuated and revealed in its fullest expression. Cinema and cities, and urbanism, and architecture…
This year, Copenhagen is the world capital of architecture, and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe will collaborate with the Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx) to choose the three films for the summer season. The goal of CAFx is to challenge the field of architecture and promote critical thinking by inspiring, engaging and raising public awareness.
You can consult the Program at the pavelló website.
📍 Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion
📅 July 3, August 7 and September 4
Stalls/Stands Obertes, the canodrome cinema
The Canòdrom is one of the undiscovered areas of the city. The former dog racing venue was renovated a few years ago to become a space for innovation. Where the animals used to run, there is now a bar and a giant screen that can be seen from the Stalls/Stands where fantasy, science fiction and socially transformative films are shown.
This year will begin in July, and although the schedule is not yet available, you can check it out at the program here.
📍 Canòdrom
📅 During the month of July
Mecal Air, short films in the open air
Another city classic, the Mecal Air has prepared a detailed programming with the best short films from both the national and international scene screened free of charge .
This year they have prepared a Program with thematic sessions of short films selected among the 4,500 they receive each year from 110 countries: a selection of more than 350 short films distributed in 4 official competition sections -International, Obliqua, Animation and Documentary- as well as numerous parallel thematic sessions.
📍 Jardins del Clot and Parc Elisava
📅 Every Friday from July to September
Cinema a la Fresca a l’Illa Diagonal, the cinema of the uptown area
Starting at the end of June and during the nights of July in the L’illa Diagonal shopping center is transformed into a movie theater to watch projections on a huge screen and a warm high sound.
Movies of all kinds and the possibility to order your take away food in the mall restaurants and eat it in the loungers while watching your movie. Each year the film series is thematic and you will be able to see program here.
📍 Illa Diagonal Shopping Center
📅 From June to end of July
Cosmonits of the CosmoCaixa science fiction, never better said
Gravity, The Impossible, Back to the Future… Few film cycles have such a clear objective in such an appropriate space: to disseminate science through the seventh art.
Therefore, the tickets to the CosmoCaixa movie nights include not only the viewing of the film, but also a visit to the museum and a concert beforehand. In the program great classic and contemporary films that help us to understand our reality and to imagine other possible futures.
📍 CosmoCaixa
📅 July and August
Cinema in civic centers
In the Rellotge House in the Cotxeres de Sants… During the summer, many of the city’s civic centers and other neighborhood organizations organize their own cinemas a la fresa with all kinds of proposals. Find yours and enjoy the summer nights in Barcelona!
📍 Various locations
📅 All summer long
Finestrelles Shopping Centre, family cinema
The Cinema a la Fresca cycle of the Finestrelles Shopping Centre, the Esplugues shopping center, programs films every Saturday at 21:15h. from May 20 to September 23 on the center’s restaurant floor.
In total 18 movies that started with Lion Boy and will end with Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Along the way, family films such as Tadeo Jones, Top Gun Maverick or Uncharted. The cycle is free of charge and you can consult all the films and dates on theevent’s website .
📍 Finestrelles Shopping Centre
📅 May 20 to Sept. 23