Summer in the city means cinema under the stars

About Britain

Films on Fridges: Leading the cool al fresco cinema trend

Films on Fridges, a temporary outdoor cinema in east London constructed mostly out of discarded fridges, made al fresco films this summer's new cool activity with its daily programme of sports-themed movies shown in a homage to the upcoming Olympics (filmsonfridges.com).

That project ended last week but there are plenty more outdoor cinema experiences to enjoy. The Rooftop Film Club, at the Queen of Hoxton, has an eclectic programme of classic, cult and recent releases, which continues until the end of the month.

Movie-lovers can pick up their wireless headphones and pull up a comfy chair for an evening of cinema under the stars in a unique outdoor urban environment – come rain or shine. And there's good food and cold beer on sale, too. Shows sell out, though, so book in advance (rooftopfilmclub.com).

Meanwhile, the Deptford Project's outdoor Silent Cinema season runs until 20 August. Its classics weekend starts on 18 August and features 1920s films The General – starring Buster Keaton – Nosferatu and Fritz Lang's Metropolis (thedeptfordproject.com).

Other London venues running outdoor cinema events include Bushy Park, Hampton Court, Dulwich Park and Brockwell Lido, which are hosting the Nomad Cinema project on various dates until 10 September. And the sunken amphitheatre next to City Hall, The Scoop, is screening free films from 14-30 September (whereisthenomad.com). For details of outdoor cinema in the capital, see viewlondon.co.uk.

These events are not just confined to London. Classic Hollywood cinema is on offer in the grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent on 26 August, when Some Like It Hot will be screened. The National Trust property Stowe Landscape Gardens, in Buckinghamshire, is hosting two films – The Rocky Horror Picture Show on 27 and Toy Story 3 – on 28 August (nationaltrust.org.uk).

Head to Rendelsham, in Suffolk, on 29 and 30 August for Films in the Forest, when Cambridge Film Projects will be showing the 1922 version of Robin Hood and also Close Encounters of the Third Kind (cambridgefilmprojects.co.uk). And, on the Welsh border, Chepstow Racecourse will be offering the ultimate al fresco movie experience next Friday, when the classic musical Grease will be screened as a drive-in (driveinexperience.com).

Finally, Manchester city centre's popular outdoor cinema Screenfields is putting on two family favourites on 20 and 27 August – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from 1968 and Wall-E from 2008 (screenfields.eventbrite.com).

simone.freelance@mac.com