Sunset Cinema Brisbane

Overview

For eight weeks this autumn, Hamilton will boast two places to see movies. Only one will get you catching a flick outdoors, under the stars and by the river, however. That cinema: Sunset Cinema, which first popped up at Northshore in 2023 and is returning to get its projector whirring again from late-March through till mid-May in 2024.

While sunset doesn't usually follow moonlight, Brisbane's outdoor cinema scene is one place where it does, with Sunset Cinema hitting town a month after Moonlight Cinema wrapped up its latest season. The latter gets a summer run in Roma Street Parkland each year, while the former opts for autumn in Hamilton. It's been a busy period to see a movie beneath the evening sky in general in the River City, with Brissie now home to a permanent year-round openair picture palace over at Brisbane Powerhouse.

For Sunset Cinema's 2024 stint in the Queensland capital, films will screen at Dock D, largely from Wednesday–Saturday. The season kicks off on Thursday, March 21 with rom-com Anyone But You, then ends on Sunday, May 11 with Kung Fu Panda 4. In-between, everything from more Sydney Sweeney in Madame Web to twice the Timothée Chalamet thanks to Wonka and Dune: Part Two is on the lineup — and also Barbie, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Wicked Little Letters and Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black as well.

Filmgoers can also see Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn's latest spy caper Argylle, the Mean Girls musical starring Australian actor Angourie Rice (The Last Thing He Told Me), witness Barbie's Kingsley Ben-Adir transform into a reggae icon in Bob Marley: One Love and catch Eric Bana's second stint as Aaron Falk in Force of Nature: The Dry 2.

A number of double features filled with retro classics are on the bill, so the OG Mean Girls will show with Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You with Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie with Jennifer's Body. Or, there's Finding Nemo paired with Toy Story, then The Princess Bride with The Wizard of Oz.

BYO picnics are encouraged, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. For that, Oxford Landing is providing the wine, Manly Spirits Distillery Co the gin for G&Ts and Mountain Culture Beer Co the brews.

Didn't pack enough snacks? There's hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite cinema treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. Choose a VIP seat in the sunset lounge, which comes with premium bean lounges and the best view of the screen, and your popcorn will be bottomless, in fact.

Sunset Cinema is doing headphones for its audio, so you'll be listening in via bluetooth once the flick kicks off at last light (with gates opening at 5.30pm). And, your movie-loving dog won't miss out, with the picture palace pooch-friendly, but Rover will need to stay on a leash.