Sydneysiders don’t need many excuses to roll out a picnic rug, pop a bottle of pét-nat and spend a balmy evening under the stars – but this summer, Moonlight Cinema is making an especially solid case. Australia’s favourite outdoor cinema is back for another season, bringing blockbuster releases, festive favourites and family films Centennial Park’s leafy amphitheatre.
Since opening in 1995 with a screening of Pulp Fiction, Moonlight Cinema has become a pretty beloved Sydney summer tradition. Expect golden-hour picnics and hours sprawled on comfy bean beds catching up with friends before settling in for a movie under the stars.
From Wednesday, November 25, 2026, the Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Parklands will once again transform into an open-air cinema, with screenings running until Sunday, March 28, 2027.
Leading the new season is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which will kick things off in Sydney on November 25. The opening program also includes plenty of new releases, from psychological thriller Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, to a gloriously tear-jerking new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (screenplay written by Sydney’s very own Diana Reid). Other highlights include The Social Reckoning, Practical Magic 2 and Wild Horse 9, alongside preview screenings of A Talent for Murder, starring Helen Mirren, on December 6 and Cat in the Hat on December 30.
Naturally, things will get super festive around Christmas time. From December 11 to 23, Moonlight’s Christmas Favourites program brings seasonal staples to the big screen, including Love Actually, The Polar Express, Home Alone, Elf and The Holiday. There’s also Ebenezer, a new ghost story set in Dickens’ London starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge. Families can catch Disney’s Hexed on Boxing Day, too.
As always, there are a few ways to do movie night. General Admission lets you bring your own picnic rug and snacks, while Connoisseur Lounge tickets guarantee a bean bed in a dedicated viewing area, complete with gourmet ice cream. For a premium experience, GWM Gold Grass offers prime viewing, express entry and food and drinks delivered to your bean bed.
For an extra-special night out, the Platinum Experience returns to Sydney, with a deluxe double bean bed in a prime viewing spot, express entry, a drink each on arrival, a premium cinema snackbox and blankets. Food and drinks are available to order by QR code, and you’re welcome to bring your own picnic and refreshments, too. Four-legged friends are welcome at Sydney screenings, so your doggo can join the fun.
Gates open 90 minutes before each film, giving you heaps of time to find your spot, unpack the snacks and watch the sun go down before the opening credits roll.
Tickets for November and December screenings are on sale over here.
