Rooftop Film Club: Queen of Hoxton

Price
£12

BYOB?
No. Buy your drinks at the bar

Food
Barbecue available on the roof before every movie

Transport
Tube: Old Street, Liverpool Street
Overground: Shoreditch High Street

Comfy director chairs, headphones, blankets… The Rooftop Film Club has perfected the art of outdoor movies on top of the Queen of Hoxton pub. Films are mostly shout-at-the-screen Hollywood crowdpleasers and cult(ish) classics. They’ll be screening five nights a week over the summer and Tuesdays are devoted to chick flick faves.

1. The Queen of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Rd, EC2A 3JX 1 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX
2. Until Sep 30

Buy tickets

Film4Free at Dalston Roof Park

Price
Free

BYOB?
No. Bar opens at 6pm

Food
These are the guys behind The Long Table so predictably excellent street food from vendors like Wingmen’s Chicken Wings

Transport
Overground: Dalston Junction, Dalston Kingsland

Dalston Roof Park is a candidate for Hackney’s most charming venue – a garden on top of an old factory. Every Tuesday night over the summer you can watch a film there for free – a cool mix of dramas and music docs.

1. The Print House, 18 Ashwin St, E8 3DL
2. Until Sep

The Luna Cinema

Price
From £8 to £19.50

BYOB?
Yes, at most venues, but no glass

Food
BYO picnic

Transport
n/a

It’s location, location, location with Luna Cinema. Its mission is to sit you down in a gorgeous spot at sunset with a picnic and a classic movie. Most popular are Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Kew Gardens. If you fancy a day trip, out-of-town venues include Ascot Racecourse and Pinewood Studios.

1. Various venues
2. Until Sep 29

BP Big Screens – Royal Opera House

Price
Free

BYOB?
Yes, at most venues, but no glass

Food
BYO picnic

Transport
n/a

Curious about the opera? Always fancied seeing a ballet but not sure where to start? Every year the Royal Opera House beams three performances live from Covent Garden to a smattering of London venues. Biggest is Trafalgar Square, where up to 10,000 people are squeezed in, but there’s also Victoria Park, Waltham Forest, Canary Wharf and Woolwich. The crowd is a mix of pearl-rattlers, opera buffs and passers-by who get sucked in by the electric atmosphere of the audience.

1. Various venues
2. Jun 13-Jul 18

Pop Up Screens

Price
£8

BYOB?
Yes, or buy from the on-site bar

Food
BYO picnic and street food vendors

Transport
n/a

It’s all about the relaxed atmosphere at Pop Up. Expect to see groups of mates reliving their slacker years – but instead of heckling the telly, they’re yelling at a giant inflatable screen. This year’s venues include Coram’s Fields in Holborn, Manor House Gardens in Lewisham and Wormholt Park, Hammersmith. Films are familiar favourites like ‘The Big Lebowski’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’.

1. Various venues
2. Jul 12-Sep 15

Nomad

Price
£8.50-£16.50

BYOB?
Yes, but no glass. Or buy from the on-site bar

Food
BYO picnic or try catering by Hix’s Fishdog

Transport
n/a

Nomad reaches the places that no other cinema does, with pop-ups in all sorts of London nooks and crannies. Not only do its screenings have the coolest locations, they have the best festival atmosphere of any outdoor cinema. Last year, Nomad spooked our socks off with ‘The Shining’ at Brompton Cemetery. This year, The Horniman Museum and a secret garden next to Coram’s Fields have been added to the list of special venues.

1. Various venues
2. July 14-Sept 21

Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House

Price
From £14.50

BYOB?
Yes, but no glass

Food
BYO picnic

Transport
Overground: Waterloo, Charing Cross
Tube: Temple, Covent Garden, Charing Cross, Embankment

Watching a movie in the elegant courtyard at Somerset House on a beautiful summer evening (yeah, well, we think positive) is an unforgettable experience. Tickets for the 14-night season, which takes place in August, go on sale at the end of May, but they get snapped up awfully fast, so get ready to act quick if you want one.

1. Somerset House, Strand, WC2 1LA
2. Aug 8–21

The Rooftop Film Club, Kensington

Price
£22 (includes food)

BYOB?
No. Buy from the bar

Food
Tickets include a snack of burger or hot dog (veggie option available)

Transport
Tube: High Street Kensington

Watching ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ on one of London’s loveliest rooftops, 100 feet above Kensington High Street, is surely something Holly Golightly would approve of. With a stream and flamingos, it’s a chic setting for a movie night – and best of all, it’s fully weatherproofed.

1. The Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High St, W8 5SA
2. Until Sep

The Scoop at More London

Price
Free

BYOB?
Yes, but no glass

Food
BYO picnic

Transport
Tube: Tower Hill

Screenings at The Scoop – a sunken concrete amphitheatre on the South Bank – are the last hurrah of the outdoor movie season (part of the More London free festival). Just remember to keep your eyes on the screen and not the view of Tower Bridge all lit up and looking gorgeous.

This year’s programme includes ‘Skyfall’, ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘Amour’. Bring a cushion (or hire one on the night) to avoid getting a numb bum from the concrete slab seats, and something to wrap up warm in for those late-September dates.

1. South Bank, between Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast
2. Thu Sep 12