Ahoy! Floating cinema is coming to London this summer

After months when your choice of places to watch a movie tallied exactly with the number of tellies you own, suddenly options abound. Many London cinemas are open again, there are drive-ins to go to and outdoor cinema has slowly returned too. There’s even cycle-in cinema, a potential game-changer for cycling cineastes.  

Joining the resurgence is Openaire Float-In Cinema, a collaboration between Openaire, Merchant Square and GoBoat. It kicks off – or casts away, rather – on September 2 on Regent’s Canal.

The movies – ‘The Greatest Showman’, ‘Titanic’, ‘A Star Is Born’, ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Jaws’ among them – are showing on a six-by-three-metre LED screen at Merchant Square in Paddington Basin (audio is provided via wireless headphones). All you’ll need to do is pick up your boat at Little Venice and pootle downstream. Film start times are at 4.45pm and 8.15pm on screening days.

The 16 boats seat up to eight landlubbers each, with prices ranging from £200 to £250 per boat depending on the number of people aboard. Basically, it’s affordable if you take your whole bubble, or bubbles, but pricy if you’re self-isolating. 

For anyone who doesn’t fancy taking to the water, there will be plenty of socially distanced deckchair seating available. Those tickets come in at £15 each.

As with the summer’s drive-in cinemas, snacking is entirely app-based: you order on your phone and popcorn, drinks and Italian food courtesy of a RaviOllie pop-up are delivered to your boat (or deckchair). 

Head to the official website for all the info and to book tickets.

Outdoor cinema set to electrify Battersea Power Station this month.

Eco-friendly cycle screenings are coming to east London’s parks.

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