Lady’s Guide to an Outdoor Cinema in London

Today I want to bring you my guide to attending an outdoor cinema in London. All across the city, al fresco movie theaters pop up during the warmer months to entertain locals and visitors. It’s a fun twist on the traditional cinema experience.

Outdoor Cinema in London

On Friday night I went with a friend to an outdoor cinema in London on the grounds of Fulham Palace. The company that runs it is known for converting Britain’s parks, gardens, and castle grounds into open-air movie theaters.

From Hampton Court Palace to Bodiam Castle, their roaming pop-up cinemas show a variety of films throughout the summer.

The people behind the outdoor cinema in London invited me to attend my choice of film and location, and I decided on a screening of Dangerous Liaisons at Fulham Palace.

I’d just finished reading the book and wanted to see how the movie compared. Fulham Palace was as convenient a location of any of the choices on the list, and I looked forward to the experience.

My friend and I arrived on Friday night shortly before the movie began. A large screen was set up on the lawn for the outdoor cinema in London, and people had laid blankets, chairs, and cushions in front of it.

As we approached, we heard the music of a live string quartet playing under the moonlight and smelled the tempting aromas from a cluster of food vendors.

After setting our blanket down, we were invited to a makeshift photography studio. There we saw period costumes and a set resembling an opulent palace from 18th-century France.

We donned said costumes and the photographer posed us for some photos, which we were told would be free to view online later (I’m still waiting, though).

The film started shortly thereafter. We sat down on our blanket and settled into a picnic feast. For the next two hours, we enjoyed the screening and our dinner under the stars.

It was nice to be able to watch the movie outside in a festive ambiance. In a way it reminded me of the Secret Cinema experience.

When Dangerous Liaisons was over, we left the outdoor cinema in London and took the tube home. It was getting cold by then, and I was glad to have had the experience before the autumn chill and rains settle in for good.

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