Outdoor Cinema returns for 2025

Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre has teamed up with Christchurch City Council to offer outdoor movies again in January 2025.

In total there are 12 movies to be screened over two blockbuster summer weekends, 3-5 and 10-12 January 2025. The Arts Centre’s Creative Director Chris Archer says “collectively watching a movie outdoors on a summer’s evening provides a shared and often unforgettable experience. Add some kai shared with whānau and friends, and you can’t help but conclude that life in Ōtautahi is incredible really.”

Recently released family-friendly movies will screen at 5pm each Saturday and Sunday evenings, including Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), IF (2024), The Garfield Movie (2024) and Wonka (2023).

A 7pm screening on Fridays and Saturdays will feature recent movies with broad appeal for an adult audience, such as the first movie to open the series,

The Fall Guy (2024), in which the main protagonist is a movie stuntman played by Ryan Gosling, who in fact had most of his stunts done by a real stuntman.

Late-night 9.30pm movies on Fridays and Saturdays will be cult classics and off-beat comedy, ranging from perennial favourite The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) which is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, to vampire drama The Lost Boys (1987) to mockumentary Best in Show (2000) and satirical dark comedy film Office Space.

All sessions will be in The Arts Centre’s North Quad, where people can settle themselves on blankets, cushions, or low beach chairs they’ve brought with them.

The 5pm screenings are priced at just $5 per child ($10 per adult). Entry to later movies is a flat rate of $10. A $1.50 booking fee per ticket applies.

Booking is via The Arts Centre website. 

BYO picnic food is encouraged; alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the bar on-site (no BYO alcohol) on Friday and Saturday nights.

Cancelled if wet: check The Arts Centre or Christchurch City Council website if in doubt.