Ben & Jerry’s Open Air Cinema sadly closes for the season tomorrow night. the good news is they are playing Love Actually and giving away Ben & Jerry’s ice cream!

The great news is that there are plenty of other open air cinema options in Sydney this summer. Here are our Top 10 (in chronological order):

1. The Beresford Hotel (Oct 2015-April 2016) in Surry Hills shows movies every Wednesday in their fairy-lit courtyard.
2. Santa Fest Open Air Cinema (Nov 27-Dec 24) is about as central as it gets, with free festive movies in Darling Harbour every Friday and Saturday night until Christmas Eve.
3. Moonlight Cinema (Dec 3-Mar 27) has an impressive 20 years to its belt. It’s still one of my favourites as I love it’s Centennial Park setting and you don’t usually need to prebook (so you can wait to see the weather forecast). Contact us for $12.50 tickets (rrp $19).
4. Movies by the Boulevard (Jan 2-17) at Sydney Olympic Park is perfect if you have spent too much on Christmas gifts (as they are free). The movies and activities beforehand are aimed at families, with most films having a G or PG rating.
5. Flickerfest (Jan 8-17) at Bondi Pavillion has been running even longer than Moonlight, and will celebrate its 25th birthday next year. Great option if you have a short attention span and like short films.
6. St George OpenAir Cinema (Jan 8-Feb 19) at Mrs Maquarie’s Point definitely wins ‘best location award’, At $37.70 per ticket it’s quite a bit pricier than the other options, but the view more than makes up for that (see photo above), with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as its backdrop.
7. Ben & Jerry’s Open Air Cinema at Sydney Uni may almost be over, but the original one at Bondi Beach (Jan 14-Feb 21) doesn’t start until next month. It can get surprisingly chilly by the ocean, but the views and ice cream make it worthwhile. They also have live music on Sundays before the film.
8. Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema (Jan 15-Feb 14) in Castle Hill might seem far away, unless you live out that way, but the VIP Packages with gold dipped Gelato Messina choc-tops and private butler service make the drive worth it.
9. Sunset Cinema (Jan 21-Mar 19) at North Sydney Oval is perfect for those of you north of the bridge, and my friends at The Nighthawk Diner will be there serving their delicious American diner style gourmet burgers and sandwiches.
10. Skyline Drive-in Blacktown is Sydney’s only drive-in cinema. It’s technically an open air cinema, but has the benefit of keeping you dry if it rains. It has a cute 1950s-style diner attached and runs all year round.

Please note, most of the above have bars although some allow you to take your own alcohol whilst others do not, so please check the FAQs beforehand.