London: 2025 Summer Open Air Cinemas

Summer in London means pop-up open-air cinemas and rooftop film screenings. Whether you’re looking to revisit timeless classics or catch the latest releases, we’ve rounded up where you can enjoy outdoor movie magic in the summer of 2025.

Rooftop Film Club London 2025: Peckham and Stratford

The reigning champion of London’s summer cinema scene, Rooftop Film Club, returns to the rooftops of Bussey Building in Peckham and Roof East in Stratford.

RFC’s winning formula blends classics and beloved films like Notting Hill, Dirty Dancing, Harry Potter, About Time, Pulp Fiction, and The Dark Knight with new releases such as Wicked, Moana 2, and Paddington in Peru. Additionally, monthly TV Watch Parties kick off in April with a series of Friends episodes.

Both venues offer fully stocked bars with drinks for every taste and carefully curated food vendors (think pizza and classic cinema snacks in Peckham, and a variety of flavors at Roof East in Stratford). A rustle-free popcorn experience is guaranteed. A new addition for 2025, Fireside Films, offers cozy double seats by a wood-burning fire for screenings in cooler months like April, May, September, and October.

Thanks to LED screens at both locations, films can be shown not only at sunset but throughout the day, meaning more daytime screenings—perfect for weekends and school holidays. Stratford’s Roof East also hosts a 90s Kids Club on select Saturdays during the summer, featuring matinee screenings of films like Babe, The Parent Trap, and Toy Story. Speaking of families, Peckham is a dog-friendly venue, welcoming well-behaved furry friends to all screenings (though note that only assistance dogs are allowed at Roof East).

Both venues have limited wheelchair spaces, so pre-booking is essential if you require one. For cinema-goers who are deaf or hard of hearing, select open-captioned screenings with subtitles displayed throughout the film are also available.

Rooftop Film Club 2025 opens on April 10 at Bussey Building (Peckham) and April 17 at Roof East (Stratford). Schedules and tickets are typically released in monthly batches.

Canary Wharf Summer Screens

Major sporting events like Wimbledon, alongside a selection of films, are showcased at Canary Wharf’s Summer Screens, and it’s all free to watch. Deckchairs and beanbags at the giant screen in Canada Square Park are available on a “first come, first served” basis. Be sure to check their website for the 2025 schedule once it’s announced.

Summer Screens 2025, Canary Wharf. Free, May 29 – September 27, 2025.

Summer by the River 2025

The annual open-air festival Summer by the River returns to London Bridge City, the South Bank stretch between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. Its diverse entertainment lineup includes free film screenings, mostly family-friendly titles. Announced films so far include Mufasa: The Lion King, Paddington in Peru, Despicable Me 4, Wicked Singalong, Moana 2, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and If.

Entry is free and operates on a “first come, first served” basis, with pop-up bars and food stalls also available.

Summer by the River 2025, from May 29.

Adventure Cinema 2025: Kew Gardens

Adventure Cinema, a touring open-air cinema across the UK, stops by Kew Gardens in mid-summer to delight Londoners.

This is a classic open-air cinema experience: bring your own picnic chair or blanket (unless you’ve booked a premium ticket) and enjoy classic films in this lush setting. The 

Kew lineup includes:

• Wicked Singalong
• Moana 2
• Mamma Mia! (with a pre-show ABBA disco)
• The Gruffalo / Stick Man (animated double bill for kids)
• Andrea Bocelli 30 (screening of Andrea Bocelli’s 30th-anniversary concert, with pre-show music)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary

Hot food, snacks, and a bar are available on-site, but you’re also welcome to bring your own picnic.

Adventure Cinema 2025. The UK tour begins May 23, arriving at Kew Gardens June 20–22, 2025.

Lower Marsh Lates 2025, Waterloo

Waterloo’s Lower Marsh street will be closed to traffic this summer for free film screenings, offering the chance to sing along to beloved musicals. Lower Marsh Lates will take place on three dates this summer, with host Hannah Maxwell leading free warm-up activities before each film. Local businesses will offer food and drink discounts throughout the evening, and entry to the screenings is free (so arrive early to snag a deckchair). This year’s films: Mamma Mia!, Dirty Dancing, and Grease.

Lower Marsh Lates, June 26, July 31, and August 28, 2025.

Free Film Screenings at BST Hyde Park Open House

BST Hyde Park is a major music festival featuring big-name acts over three weekends in June and July. On weekdays between concerts, the festival grounds open to the public for free as part of the Open House events.

The BST Open House program includes daily open-air cinema screenings alongside Wimbledon matches. The cinema lineup features: The Garfield Movie, Thelma, The Goonies, Wicked Singalong, The Fall Guy, Fly Me to the Moon, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and Dune Part Two. Street food stalls and bars will be open, with seating on the grass available on a “first come, first served” basis.

BST Hyde Park Open House, select dates from June 30 – July 10, 2025.

Everyman on the Canal 2025, King’s Cross

The canal-side steps at Granary Square will once again host Everyman on the Canal’s open-air cinema, offering free screenings of popular and cult classic films. Full program details are yet to be announced (check the website), but we know that artist Yinka Ilori MBE is involved in designing this year’s screen, so expect a vibrant, eye-catching installation.

Everyman on the Canal 2025, free, June 30 – August 17, 2025.

Vauxhall Summer Screens at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

In 2025, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens’ open-air Summer Screen cinema will showcase four films over four Tuesday evenings. Screenings are free (though donations are welcome), and tickets are required. Deckchairs can be rented for £5. Alternatively, grab a picnic blanket to enjoy Aladdin (July 8), Jumanji (July 15), Mean Girls (July 22), and Sister Act II (July 29).

Vauxhall Summer Screens 2025, July 8–29, 2025.

Barbican Open-Air Cinema 2025

For 11 nights, the Barbican hosts film screenings in its open-air Sculpture Court, surrounded by the estate’s Brutalist architecture. Food stalls and bars will be available throughout the event. The program focuses on cult classics over new releases, starting with the sci-fi epic Dune and including Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, the early Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies, and Babymother, considered the first Black British musical.

Barbican Open-Air Cinema 2025, August 20–31, 2025.