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 most well-established outdoor movie night is officially turning 30, and to celebrate, it’s handing the programming reins over to the people. Yep: for the first time ever, you get to help shape the season’s line-up.
Since its debut back in 1995 – opening with a now-iconic screening of Pulp Fiction – Moonlight Cinema has become a staple of the Sydney summer. More than five million people have sprawled across the lawns since then: first dates, proposals, celeb sightings, and countless delighted doggos who’ve come to expect their own bean bag and biscuit as standard.
This year, the beloved Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Parklands will once again transform into one of the Harbour City’s most picturesque open-air theatres, with films running throughout the summer from Friday, November 21, 2025 to Sunday April 5, 2026. And while the November–December program is already on sale, the real thrill lies in The People’s Program – a nationwide vote to decide which nostalgic favourites will hit the big screen from January through March.
Voting is now open, with film choices including Shrek, Dirty Dancing, The Castle, Jurassic Park and more. Everyone who casts a vote gets 30 per cent off General Admission to People’s Program screenings – plus a shot at winning a Double Season Pass. Consider it Moonlight’s birthday gift to you (and to your future self, who will absolutely thank you for backing Shrek).
The early-season program sets the tone with a blend of festive faves, family joyrides and Hollywood heavy-hitters. November opens with a bang: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey kicks off the season on November 21, followed by the body-swap chaos of Freakier Friday on November 23 and feel-good charmer Good Fortune on November 25. Springsteen fans get their fix early, too, with Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere showing on November 26, while rom-com devotees can settle in for The Materialists (November 27) or dive into YA drama with Regretting You (November 28). Motorsport heads get their adrenaline hit with F1 The Movie (November 29), before the month wraps with slapstick revival The Naked Gun (November 30).
December turns up the dial with a mix of festive magic and blockbuster shine. Early in the month, audiences can catch the insectoid sci-fi oddity Bugonia (December 2), the highly anticipated preview of Eternity (December 3), and the emerald-hued spectacle of Wicked (December 6). And just before New Year’s, Wicked: For Good (December 27) promises an encore of soaring vocals and spellbinding camp.
From December 9, Sydney gets two full weeks of Christmas cheer, with the season’s biggest cult classics rolling across the lawn. Kick things off with The Holiday (December 9) and Last Christmas (December 10) before leaning into the chaos with Elf (December 11 and 22). No Moonlight Christmas is complete without Home Alone (December 13 and 19) or the annual rewatch of Love Actually (December 4, 12 and 18). Rounding out the festival of tinsel are How the Grinch Stole Christmas (December 14), The Nightmare Before Christmas (December 16) and The Polar Express (December 17), before Home Alone 2 (December 20) and The Grinch (December 21) bring things home.
November and December deliver plenty for mini movie lovers, too. A Minecraft Movie drops on November 22, before December brings fire-breathing adventure with How to Train Your Dragon (December 7), and animated heavyweights Zootopia 2 (December 26) and Moana 2 (December 28).
As always, you’ll find a range of ticket options – from an entry level picnic rug style situation to a Gold Class set-up brought to life by Singapore Airlines (tickets include priority entry, bean bag seating and food and drinks delivered to your bed). BYO food and drink is allowed if you’re on a budget, but if you’re going all-out, you’ll find a good selection of stalls on site serving movie essentials (popcorn and wine) as well as more hearty snacks. The gates open 90 minutes before the movie starts, and movies generally start once the sun has set.
Tickets for November and December are on sale now via the Moonlight Cinema website, and you can cast your vote for the People’s Program over here.
